Naruto: The Leech
by Renohan
Summary: After the fight with Haku, Naruto discovers that he has the rare genetic ability to assimilate kekkei genkai... permanently. But there's a great consequence for such a great power: a recurring hunger and obsessive urge for more that threatens to tear his life, and even the shinobi world, asunder...
1. Awakening of a New Kekkei Genkai

_A/N: Hello, all! My newest story also happens to be a challenge fic from **KyuubiWindscar**! Hopefully, it will exceed my expectations. Enjoy!_

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**_Chapter 1_**

**_Awakening of a new Kekkei Genkai_**

* * *

_Nami no Kuni, the unfinished bridge…_

Naruto was here now. They might have a chance to defeat Haku, but then there was always a chance for something to go horribly wrong. For a moment, it seemed that Sasuke had a sliver of hope…before the blond's stupidity kicked in.

"Sasuke, I'm going to save you now!"

Sasuke looked utterly disappointed as he glared at Naruto through narrow eyes. He shook his head in embarrassment before snapping.

"Fuck, Naruto! Use your damn head sometimes! If you were going to rescue me, why'd you come inside of the mirrors?"

"You should just be glad I came to help your ass!"

Haku suddenly appeared in the mirror before them, the two genin ready for an attack.

"_That's him," _Sasuke thought, reaching to pull out a kunai, when a voice came from behind them.

"Over here," Haku said, now in the mirror behind them.

"_He moved…how?" _Sasuke thought, pondering his method of teleportation.

Sasuke seemed to have an idea, as he had already formed the six required hand seals for his signature jutsu.

"_If my assumption is true…then I should be able to melt this ice!"_

With his first two fingers and thumb curled around his mouth, he deeply inhaled before spewing out a powerful beam of flame.

"Katon: Gōkakyu no Jutsu!" (Fire Release: Grand Fireball Technique)

The flames receded, however, much to their surprise, Sasuke's attempt to destroy the mirrors was futile. Haku stood in the mirror before them, perfectly still, almost statue-like.

"Hmph! You can't melt this ice with that level of fire. If you keep trying, you'll just die from chakra exhaustion," he stated calmly.

In an instant, he was nowhere, as the boys found themselves pelted with several senbon. They looked around, a feeling of peril making its arousal.

"Damn, where's the real one?" Naruto asked.

"Trying to follow my movements with the naked eye is impossible. Unfortunately, you will never be able to catch me. You two will die here, I'm afraid," Haku promptly responded.

"Fuck you!" Naruto shouted, angered at Haku's consistent calm reactions. "Kage Bunshin no Jutsu!" (Shadow Clone Technique)

In an instant, he brandished several perfect clones, all of which began attacking every mirror, to ensure success of striking the real Haku. However, he had a superior advantage: speed, and Naruto's clones just couldn't keep up. Every time they went for a strike, Haku and his doppelgangers would fluidly counterattack.

"Do you know why you can't catch me? This jutsu uses the mirror's reflection to transport me…so from my point of view…you are moving in slow-motion."

Naruto lay on the ground, panting and bleeding while Sasuke glared at Haku with extreme killing intent. However, they both shared the same objective: to kill Haku.

* * *

_With Kakashi…_

"That kid…has mastered an advanced bloodline!" Kakashi blurted as Zabuza chuckled under his breath. "It's a jutsu passed down from your ancestors."

Sakura looked on in amazement as she began unraveling her sensei's words.

"You could compare it to my Sharingan, but there are some major differences in the fact that mine is a dōjutsu where I can copy one's abilities, while his, on the other hand, is one where he can utilize two types of nature chakra: water and wind, thus ice, which is a mixture of the two. My kekkei genkai has a drawback though: I can't copy other kekkei genkai."

* * *

_With Naruto and Sasuke…_

"You know what? I can't die here…because I have a dream!" Naruto shouted.

That statement made Haku remember when he first met Zabuza. He was alone and cold…no dreams…

* * *

_Flashback; seven years earlier, Mizu no Kuni…_

"What an unfortunate child," Zabuza said to the young Haku.

He discovered him while walking through an alley. The war-torn land gave this place an apocalyptic atmosphere, and this is what the child had to live in.

"A kid like you won't be wanted by anyone, trust me. You will die with neither freedom nor dreams."

Zabuza put on an expression of shock when the child looked up at him, a wide grin stuck on his face.

"_How can he smile?"_

"You have the same eyes as me," the child said softly.

* * *

_End flashback…_

"Being a true shinobi is difficult for me. If possible, I don't want to have to kill you, nor want you to have to kill me, but if you come at me…I can destroy my kind heart with a blade…and become a true shinobi," Haku said calmly. "This bridge is where we fight…to connect to our dreams. Me, for my dream…and you for yours, so please don't hate me. I want to protect someone precious to me. Work for that person, fight for that person, and make that person's dreams come true. That is my dream…my purpose."

Naruto and Sasuke, whose senbon wounds began to bleed profusely, smirked at Haku, somewhat amazed at his dedication. Too bad that his dream might end today…

* * *

_With Kakashi…_

"Naruto! Sasuke-kun! Don't lose to him!" Sakura suddenly shouted.

Kakashi turned to her. "Sakura, don't egg them on. Even if they could somehow defeat that technique…they cannot kill that boy."

"What? Why?"

Zabuza chuckled almost inaudibly as he reared his head forward. "They just don't have the strength to destroy their hearts and kill another person. That young man knows the pain of being a shinobi, I should know that, but a real shinobi can't be created in a peaceful village like yours because you can't gain the most important thing: killing."

"Then what _can _we do, sensei?"

Kakashi put his hand over his hitai-ite, ready to expose his Sharingan. "This will be over instantly."

"Hmph! Is that your only fucking trick?" Zabuza asked.

The swordsmen suddenly charged forward, but Kakashi remained calm and stoic. Swiftly pulling out a kunai-like weapon, he lunged at him.

"You ask if it's my only trick, but the truth is that you're afraid…of the Sharingan," Kakashi said, Zabuza's weapon successfully blocked with Kakashi's sacrificial right hand.

"A shinobi's signature technique is not something that should be shown to the opponent repeatedly."

"You should feel honored to be the only person to see it twice…there won't be a third."

"Even if you do win, you can't kill Haku. He's my 'weapon' who utilizes jutsu that surpass even mine."

Kakashi sighed with boredom. "Let's just get this over with," he said, revealing his Sharingan.

"That fucking jutsu won't work on me twice! You see, I've already seen through the trivial system of that damn eye!"

"_Is he bluffing?" _Tazuna thought.

"Ninpou: Kirigakure no Jutsu!" (Ninja art: Hidden Mist Technique)

In a mere few moments, Zabuza seemed to slowly fade away as a heavy mist covered the area.

* * *

_With Naruto and Sasuke…_

"Damn, all we're doing is running around, exhausting ourselves!" Naruto shouted, on his knees panting.

"Shut the hell up and get up! I can't watch over your ass! We're going to get hit so just try to avoid a serious wound. There has to be a limit to his chakra."

Haku appeared, throwing a single senbon, which Sasuke managed to sidestep. However, he didn't see the one that went clear through his kneecap.

* * *

_With Kakashi…_

Kakashi stood motionless, his senses now attuned to any movement within the mist. Several shuriken came at him from the side, and he managed to block them all.

"Impressive," a voice bellowed from behind.

Kakashi turned on heel to face him.

"_His eyes are closed!"_

"But the next time you see me will be the end. Seems that you've overrated your Sharingan an a little too much," he said, fading back into the mist. "Like I said, I've figured it out. The mist is to render that fucking eye useless, and if I keep my eyes closed, that lessens my chance of getting hypnotized."

"Then how are you going to see?"

"Ha! I'm a genius at silent killing; taking down the enemy by mere movement."

With Tazuna and Sakura, Zabuza slowly crept up behind them, close to making his kill. He charged forward but was met face-to-face with Kakashi.

"Too late!" Zabuza shouted.

* * *

_With Naruto and Sasuke…_

An exhausted Naruto lay on the ground with several senbon embedded in his back while Sasuke began formulating a plan.

"I'll stop you now," Haku said, pulling out more senbon.

He was instantly in the ground floor mirror, throwing several more senbon at Sasuke and Naruto. Sasuke quickly pushed Naruto out of the way.

"_He saw it coming! Impossible!"_

The bewildered Haku noticed the pupils of his eyes, which had changed.

"_Is that…the Sharingan?"_

Sasuke now had the two-tomoe Sharingan activated. He would finally be able to see through Haku's swift movements.

"I see, you also have a kekkei genkai."

Haku got into a pose, holding four senbon between his fingers, ready to attack. A blurred figure suddenly lunged out of the mirror, but the attack wasn't directed towards Sasuke.

"_Shit! He's going for Naruto! I hope I make it to him in time!"_

* * *

_With Kakashi…_

Kakashi stood holding his wound; slashed across the chest. Everything was quiet, and it seemed like everything stopped moving for a moment.

"Protecting them has clouded your mind, Kakashi. You lack the strength anyway."

"Sasuke-kun and Naruto won't be killed that easily!" Sakura blurted.

"_HELL YEAH!" _Inner Sakura joined in.

"That's right. You underestimate them greatly. Naruto's fierce determination is what drives him, and Sasuke is the offspring of Konoha's most prominent clan."

"Tch! I could say the same for Haku because no one has ever defeated that jutsu," Zabuza said, fading back into the mist. "Time to end this."

* * *

_With Naruto and Sasuke…_

Naruto slowly rose, blood everywhere. Haku was on the ground while Sasuke was standing in front of him.

"Damn, all you ever do is get in the way," Sasuke said, barely able to stand.

However, he had suffered critical injuries protecting Naruto from the barrage of senbon.

"Why?"

"I don't know…my body just moved on its own," he said, collapsing onto Naruto.

Naruto stared him in the eyes, which no longer became visible since he closed them. A tear slowly streamed down Naruto's face.

"Well, he deserves respect for dying for a friend."

"Shut the fuck up."

At this point, Naruto was livid. To Haku's astonishment, his facial features began to change as a red colored chakra spun around him.

"_What is this chakra? It's emanating such evil!"_

Haku looked on in utter shock as the cuts and puncture wounds on his body began healing.

* * *

_With Kakashi…_

The jonin stood in the mist, perplexed at the amount of evil chakra that he was feeling.

"_That chakra…it could only be Naruto!"_

"_This feeling…it's too strong to be Kakashi's," _Zabuza thought.

Kakashi quickly pulled out a scroll and, after dabbing his thumb in his blood from his chest, swiped it along its surface.

"Neither of us has time to waste, Zabuza!"

He rolled it back up and placed it on his hands, forming a hand seal.

"Let's see what you got, Kakashi!"

* * *

_With Naruto and Sasuke…_

The angered blond ran at Haku on all fours, yet with incredible speed.

"_The killing intent he's emanating is almost scary! He's completely different from before," _Haku thought, throwing a slew of senbon.

"_What? He deflected them with mere chakra!"_

Haku was now in the mirror above him. With his signature weapon in hand, he dropped down, ready to kill. Naruto's reflexes, which were heightened ten-fold, spun out of the way as Haku came down with incredible force. Haku tried to get to another mirror, but Naruto swiftly and with a powerful grip, grabbed his arm.

"_Damn! What physical strength! He's crushing my arm!"_

He brought his free hand back as he held Haku with his left hand.

"_Dammit! I can't perform a jutsu with just one hand available! I can't get out of his grip either!"_

Naruto swiftly brought his free hand forward, jerking it into Haku's midsection. Haku let out a shrill yelp of pain as red chakra went through his body and out of his back. Naruto seemed to indulge in this moment, as he took on a maniacal grin.

"Yes!…yes…YES!" he screamed in increasing volume.

"_What is…he…doing,"_ Haku thought as life began to slowly slip away.

The arteries in Naruto's hands and face became clearly visible as he seemingly sucked the life-force out of Haku, who was now dead. It seemed like he was not only killing Haku, but taking something else as well…

When Naruto was finally satisfied, he reared his fist back, punching Haku in the face with every ounce of his weight. The force of the blow sent him flying through the chakra-infused mirrors, his mask cracking and exposing his true identity. The rest of the mirrors followed suit as Haku lay motionless on the ground.

* * *

_With Kakashi…_

Kakashi formed four hand seals, slamming the scroll on the ground afterwards, to activate his next jutsu.

"Ninpou Kuchiyose: Doton: Tsuiga no Jutsu!" (Ninja Art Summoning: Earth Style: Tracking Fang Jutsu)

"Whatever you're doing is useless, Kakashi. You don't know where I am."

"I don't have to find you."

There was a rumble at the ground, and the swordsman swiftly lifted a foot to avoid losing it as several dogs came out of the ground, biting him in various places.

"_Shit! They're restraining me!"_

"Earlier on, I purposely let you attack me, solely for this jutsu. The scent of my blood is all over you."

Kakashi promptly formed three hand seals to activate his next jutsu. It was one of lightning, as electricity surrounded him. He held his left hand downward and at the wrist as he produced more electricity.

"_What the hell? He's producing enough chakra to the point where it's visible!"_

"You will die now. Raikiri!" (Lightning Blade)

Kakashi rushed forward, the lightning in his right hand reared back behind him. Once in striking distance, he lunged his hand forward, instantly killing Zabuza, as his electrified hand went through his heart. Blood splattered everywhere, including all over Kakashi. Tazuna and Sakura looked on in horror as the mist cleared.

"Ah, there's Sasuke-kun!" she screamed as she ran to him.

He slowly opened his eyes as Sakura wept over him.

"Sakura?"

"Sasuke-kun, you're alive! Thank God!"

"Where's Naruto…and that other guy?"

"Oh no! Naruto!"

"Ka-Kakashi. I have one final request: I would like to see his face," Zabuza said, a blank expression engraved on his face.

"Sure."

Kakashi, Sakura, Sasuke, and Tazuna finally found Naruto's unconscious body and Haku's dead one. Kakashi, carrying the dying Zabuza, laid his limp body next to Haku's.

"_Haku…you were always by my side. Let me be by yours now."_

"Goodbye, Zabuza," Kakashi said under his breath.

* * *

_Two weeks later, Konoha…_

Sasuke, Sakura, and Kakashi were standing in front of the two graves of the deceased shinobi, gaining a new understanding of the importance of life. However, Sakura seemed unsettled about something.

"Kakashi-sensei, how's Naruto doing? He's been unconscious for two weeks."

"I know. I wish I knew what caused it."

Sasuke and Sakura made their way back to the village while Kakashi stayed behind, the deaths of the two probably having a different effect on him.

"_As I buried Haku, I noticed five puncture wounds on his midsection. When I put my right hand up to them, my fingers matched up with the spots perfectly, which means that Naruto killed Haku with his bare hands…however…there was no blood. Hmm, what did you do, Naruto? Was it the fox…or was it something else?"_

* * *

_Nami no Kuni, the finished bridge…_

"Thanks to you guys, we've completed the bridge, but where is Naruto?" Tazuna asked.

"Oh, he couldn't come, but I'm pretty sure he wishes you the best of luck as we do, Tazuna."

"Thank you all."

As Team 7, excluding Naruto for now, made their way back to Konoha, Tazuna couldn't help but take an extreme interest in the blond boy. With fierce determination and a dream, he's truly inspired him to work hard.

In light of Naruto, the bridge connecting Nami no Kuni to Hi no Kuni…was named The Great Naruto Bridge.

* * *

_A/N: Even though it's not known to anyone in the world (except Kakashi, who's on the brink of figuring it out), Naruto has a kekkei genkai. Furhter details about this new bloodline will be further explained in later chapters as well as getting a name._

_Questions, comments, complaints, criticisms? If any, leave a review. Thanks for reading! _


	2. Hunger

_A/N: Hello, all! I hope you enjoy this chapter as much as I did, and I hope you keep reading because it's going to get much better._

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**_Chapter 2_**

**_Hunger_**

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_Konoha training grounds…_

Ever since the fight on the bridge, the only thing on Sasuke's mind was that he should've killed Haku himself. If it weren't for Naruto, the fight would've probably turned around in his favor. Then there was the moment Naruto was going to be struck with a hail of senbon. Sasuke couldn't get over the fact that he saved the 'dead-last genin.' He despised the blond 'dobe,' yet his body seemed to move on instinct to keep him out of harm's way, memories of their trivial arguments and happy moments flashing before his eyes. As he threw a couple of kunai at a pair of training dummies, he couldn't help but feel slightly anxious about Naruto's condition, since he's been in the hospital for almost three weeks.

Sakura wasn't doing so well herself; worse than Sasuke, in fact. She refused to train with him, so she sat on a nearby rock, observing, as he ran through his projectile drills. Since the incident on the bridge, she's been a little shaken up by the unbridled horror of watching Zabuza die a slow and painful death as Kakashi's signature jutsu tore a hole through his heart. She wasn't expecting that, but she has already come to the realization that life is full of unexpected twists, and that killing is part of being a shinobi. Sasuke's near-death experience almost put her in cardiac arrest. However, he did manage to impress her by somehow avoiding a wound that would be serious enough to kill him, but that moment will seemingly continue to haunt her until she simply forgets about it.

The aftermath of the incident didn't have any effects whatsoever on Kakashi, who mercilessly killed Zabuza with his bare hands and whose comrade died on a mission so many years ago, but that's a different story. The jonin was probably somewhere engrossed in his Icha-Icha (Make-out) Series novels without a care in the world.

Naruto, after mercilessly killing Haku, was currently in the care of the Konoha Hospital. Most of the medic-nin speculated that something happened during the mission that induced his coma. They were on the right track…

* * *

_Konoha Hospital, with Naruto…_

Naruto lay in the rather large hospital bed, unconscious as two medic-nin entered to check on him. The boy's face was peaceful, as if he was merely dreaming. Maybe he was. One medic-nin approached him, placing her first two figures just below his jawbone to feel for a pulse, while the other wrote something down in a small notepad. The one close to Naruto observed him with an expression of curiosity.

"What's the matter, Suzume? Is there something wrong with Naruto?" the other nurse asked, approaching her coworker.

"Well, no. His condition has stabilized, Shizuko."

Suzume stared out of the window, her bright teal eyes glinting in the sunlight and her flowing black hair dancing in the wind. It appeared to her coworker that she was longing for something. Something was on her mind and after a few minutes of silence, Shizuko finally worked up the gall to ask her.

"Suzume, you aren't telling me the truth. As sisters, we have to be open with each other. Now, what's wrong?…and don't say nothing either. I can see it in your eyes and in your face that something is bothering you."

Suzume stayed silent as she continued to daydream, completely ignoring her sibling and not even turning to acknowledge her. What was she thinking? Shizuko heaved a sigh of disappointment as she turned to leave.

"I want…to know what's on his mind, that's all," she practically whispered as her sister closed the door.

"What?"

"I want to know what he's dreaming. Is it good? Is it bad? Is he dreaming?"

"Suzume-"

"Dreams are a fascinating thing. People have them all the time, yet…we don't know where they originate," Suzume said, her voice slowly trailing off.

"Suzume, are you-?"

"What if Naruto is having a bad dream, but he can't wake himself up?" she suddenly shouted. "What if, within his mindscape, he's in a never-ending nightmare?"

Shizuko had a feeling this would happen. The reason her sister became a medic-nin was because she had a strong empathy for others, yet she was a quiet woman. When they were kids and she had something as small as a visible scrape anywhere, if her sister saw it, she would sit and cry about it for several hours at a time. Some call it care and empathy; Shizuko calls it overreaction. It eventually worsened when she got older. She frequently mistakes a sleeping figure for a dead one, which is why she isn't allowed to check up on any patients; because one of these fits would ensue.

"Poor Naruto! Is there any way to save him from-?"

Shizuko, at this point, was getting tired of her sister's belligerent antics. She grabbed her sister by the arm, practically dragging her out of the room. "Suzume, stop it right now! Let's go! You nature hasn't relaxed yet, which means that you lied to me!" she shouted as she pulled her weeping sister out of the room.

* * *

_A few minutes later…_

With the crying medic-nin out, there was peace and quiet once again. The medics were overly concerned, as his condition was normal, but he's been in the coma for an extended period of time. In addition, death was ruled out of the equation since he had a pulse. What was really wrong with Naruto? Well, let's just say none of the medic-nins could do anything about it…

* * *

_Meanwhile, Naruto's mindscape…_

It was wet.

It was cold, wet, and terribly lonely.

Pipelines ran through every square inch of the area, the wet and cold conditions adding to the sewer-like atmosphere. The place was as large as his mind could imagine, but he never took the time to explore it. Instead, a large cage was the focal point of his mindscape.

Naruto slowly opened his eyes, suddenly springing up as he realized where he was. Why was he back here though? Was he awake or was he dreaming? He got to his feet, pain overwhelming his body, as his knees shook from the strain.

"This place isn't all-too weird to me…but…why does my body feel like this?"

He tried to bring his hands up to his head to shake the excess water out of his hair but for some peculiar reason, they seemed to weigh a ton. The same went for his legs. He was weighed down in one spot without knowing how long he would be here. Suddenly, his entire body, from his head to his toes, felt as if they were on fire. The agony, for a moment, was unbearable, as he let out a small cry. After that, the pain ceased.

"**Your body just isn't used to it yet, that's all."**

Posted on the cage was a slip of paper and on it was the kanji for 'Seal.' As Naruto turned to the cage, he found himself staring the Kyuubi no Kitsune in his large, fiery-red eyes, a maniacal grin on his face, exposing large canine teeth. He couldn't help but feel somewhat intimidated in the fox's presence.

"My body isn't used to what?"

"**Don't you remember?…when you killed Haku?" **he asked, his voice booming.

"Yeah," Naruto responded, curious as to where the conversation was going.

"**You killed that bastard when you took his kekkei genkai."**

"I DID WHAT? I couldn't have-"

"**You have no recollection of the moment, one of the many side effects of Hittakuru **(to steal from)**."**

"Hittakuru? I didn't steal-"

"**Just give it some time. It will eventually emerge on its own."**

Naruto was dumbfounded by what the Kyuubi was telling him, but it was believable.

"Hmm, that explains why my body hurts all over."

"**Bingo! The genetic code you took was unique to that person. That's why Haku was the only one who could use that jutsu. The genetic code from him is being imprinted on your DNA as we speak. The process is a bit arduous but that's just because it was your first time."**

Naruto was silent, as he had a lot to take in. He doesn't remember killing Haku, let alone taking his kekkei genkai.

"So…what's wrong with me?"

"**Absolutely nothing. In the fight, you unknowingly awakened a kekkei genkai."**

"I did? I never-"

"**Of course you didn't know! The kekkei genkai laid dormant in your body. Seeing your friend die before your eyes awakened that latent power. All it needed was a trigger to emerge, and your rage and sadness did the trick."**

"Well, if you know so much about it, then tell me how to use it."

"**I can't do that. When you killed Haku, you instinctively knew where his kekkei genkai originated. Me telling you how to use it, is like teaching an expert assassin how to assassinate."**

"Yeah, I get it now."

For a moment, there was a brief silence as Naruto contemplated the Kyuubi's words. The consistent dripping of the many leaking pipes almost disrupted his train of thought.

He decided to bring up a previous topic. "When you said that my memory loss was one of the many side effects-"

"**It seems that it's time for you to awaken."**

A flash of a bright, white light obscured Naruto's vision as he felt himself floating.

* * *

_Konoha Hospital, with Naruto…_

Naruto, at last, opened his eyes, glad to be back in the real world. Several medic-nins surrounded him as he came to.

"Shizuko, Naruto is waking up!" one of them shouted.

"We all thought you were dead!" another one shouted.

An older, much prettier looking woman stood before him, much more mature about the situation. She stared at him with glowing, emerald-green eyes, putting him in a trance.

"Ladies, I can take it from here."

The mumbling crowd left the room, leaving the experienced medic-nin alone with Naruto.

"So, Naruto, how are you feeling?" she asked, checking his pulse.

"I feel…wait, I feel strange."

"What's wrong?"

"I feel…hungry."

Shizuko let out a small chuckle. "Ha, you would be hungry after you wake from a three week coma, Naruto. What are you hungry for? Ramen?"

"No."

Shizuko let a low gasp escape her mouth. She couldn't believe what she just heard. Ichiraku Ramen's best customer has just turned down ramen, meaning something, possibly beyond Shizuko's ability, was wrong.

"Naruto, are you okay? What was the point of telling me that you were hungry if you don't want anything?"

"I don't know. I feel a hunger…but not for food. It's indescribable."

"I'll have to-"

"No! Don't tell anyone. I really feel fine."

She sighed. "Okay, Naruto. I shouldn't be doing this, but I'll find a way to release you as soon as possible."

* * *

_Later, Hokage's tower…_

"You've all been assembled for one reason," Sarutobi said.

"Hmm, it's already that time," Kakashi said.

"Apparently, it's already been reported to the other countries; I saw some of them in the village," Genma stated.

"So when is it?" a jonin asked.

"In a week," Sarutobi quickly responded, taking a puff of his pipe.

"Damn, that soon," a jonin said.

Sarutobi exhaled some smoke. "Well, I'll properly announce it in seven days time."

Most of the jonin had a look of excitement on their faces while others maintained a serious expression.

The Hokage continued to speak. "On the first day of the seventh moon…the Chunin Selection Exams will commence."

* * *

_A/N: Well, now you know the name of his kekkei genkai as well as how it works. One condition for this fic said for the description of the kekkei genkai to be creative, yet believable. I hope mine was._

_Questions, comments, complaints, criticisms? If any, leave a review. Thanks for reading._


	3. Tensions Arise!: Start of Chuunin Exams

_A/N: Sorry for the long update. On the plus side, it turns out that part of this chapter was saved in my hard drive, so I didn't have to do much typing. Now, if you read the manga, you'll notice that this fic follows extremely close, if not exactly to it. Naturally, since it's AU, it will branch out in later chapters. Hope you enjoy!_

* * *

**_Chapter 3_**

**_Tensions Arise!: Start of the Chuunin Selection Exams_**

* * *

_Several months later…_

Ever since his release from the hospital many months ago, Naruto has trained himself intensely, hoping to surpass his rival, Sasuke. However, no matter how hard he tried, he couldn't forget the conversation he had with the Kyuubi while he was in his coma. Naruto has apparently awakened a kekkei genkai that can take other kekkei genkai. It still sounds a little farfetched, but…would the Kyuubi really lie?

For the past few weeks now, the three genin found themselves attempting to stave off boredom, so a message to meet Kakashi came as quite of a shock.

Sakura heaved a heavy sigh of boredom as they sluggishly, and in absolute silence, made their way across a bridge to their meeting point. Every once in a while, Naruto and Sasuke shared looks of hatred and disgust, but Sakura was too bored to do anything about it. Her intervention would probably just make the situation worse.

The only sound in their vicinity was the soothing reverberation of the brook below the bridge. They had finally reached their meeting point, but Kakashi was nowhere in sight, as usual.

"Damn, he's late again," Naruto said, quite disappointed.

"Good morning, people. Today I got lost on the road of life," a voice said from above them.

It was Kakashi, perched on one of the bridge beams. He waved before leaping down, a serious expression on his face. There was a long silence as the three genin gave Kakashi anxious looks.

"This is sudden, but I've nominated you guys for the Chuunin Selection Exams," Kakashi suddenly said, causing Sakura to slightly flinch.

The three genin exchanged looks of curiosity as their sensei pulled something out of one of his jacket pockets. In his hand were three slips of paper.

"Here are your applications," he said, giving them each one.

Sasuke simply looked at his slip for a moment before turning his attention elsewhere. Sakura, for some reason, looked worried as she looked over hers. Naruto, as he gleamed at his slip, couldn't help but feel excited as he let out an annoying giggle.

"This is just a nomination though. The choice to take the exam is up to you. So those who wish to take it should sign those papers and turn them in at room 301 by 4 P.M. tomorrow."

With a moment of silence, they took the time to look over their papers again as they thought about the types of challenges they would face. The energetic blond has never felt this excited before.

"That is all," Kakashi said, vanishing in a cloud of smoke.

As they made their departure, Naruto found himself excessively giggling, showing his excitement of the event.

"Chuunin Selection Exams, huh? There's going to be a lot of strong people in this thing, right?" Naruto asked, trying to restrain his eagerness.

Sasuke, on the other hand, wasn't thinking of the exam as a whole, but focused on one individual he had met awhile ago.

"_I might be able to fight him…Gaara…of the Desert," _he thought.

Sakura still looked worried about something, and it seemed to be having an effect on her. She stopped walking, her head hung low.

"_I don't think I can. I can't even keep up with Sasuke-kun and Naruto…now this?" _she thought, taking another look at her paper and contemplating her decision.

* * *

_The next day…_

In the academy, a crowd of people surrounded a solitary door, guarded by two older looking shinobi. A genin, clad in a green jumpsuit and orange leg weights, was on the floor, wiping the blood from his mouth. His hitai-ite, which bore the Konoha insignia, was wrapped around his waist.

"Ha! You plan to take the Chuunin Exams with that? You should just quit while you're ahead. You're just a little fucking kid," one of the doormen said.

"Please, just let us through," a girl said.

She, just like the thick-browed genin on the ground, wore a hitai-ite, except hers was around her forehead. She had dark brown hair, fashioned with two little balls on both sides of her head.

One of the doormen, at this point, annoyed by the genin's consistent attempts to gain entry, punched the girl with a lightning fast fist, sending her flying. The crowd just watched on in anxiety as they simply brushed aside any genin that approached them.

"Look," one of the doormen said, "The Chuunin Exams aren't easy; even we have failed them three straight times. Those that take this exam and end up quitting as shinobis, those that DIE during the exam…we've seen it all. And you fucking kids think you can pass? We're doing a favor: thinning out those that will fail anyway."

"I agree," Sasuke said as he approached the door, "but let me pass through…and also remove this surrounding that you created with your genjutsu. I'm going to the third floor."

The crowd exchanged looks of confusion as yet another brave genin would just be shoved aside. The perplexed crowd looked on, waiting for one of the doormen to deliver his punishment.

With a smirk the other doorman said, "Hmph, so you've noticed."

"Sakura, you must've noticed first, right?"

At first, she pretended like she didn't know what he was talking about. Not knowing what to say, she simply responded with, "Huh?"

"Your analytical ability and genjutsu know-how is the most improved on our team."

She gazed at Sasuke through beady eyes as she couldn't help but feel somewhat flattered. She finally mustered the courage to speak out.

"Of course I noticed…because this isn't the third floor…it's the _second _floor!"

Naruto, oblivious as to what was going on, merely agreed with his teammates as the genjutsu was removed, the sign above the door revealing room 201 instead of 301. Sasuke could feel killing intent coming from one of the doormen as he rushed Sasuke with a low kick.

"Not bad, but all you did was see through it!"

Sasuke intended on countering with a well placed kick himself, until a force between them stopped their attacks.

"Rock Lee!" the girl with the buns blurted.

The crowd was now puzzled as to what just happened as an uproar ensued. Sakura could barely think in the noise.

"_Wow, he's fast! He was able to see both kicks and slide himself in between. Amazing!"_

Sasuke glared at Lee through narrowed eyes as he released their legs.

"_Damn bastard, catching my kick with his bare hand…and what's this chakra in his arms?"_

"What happened to the plan?" a boy asked Lee. "You're the one who said that we shouldn't draw attention to ourselves."

His appearance came as quite of a shock at first since he didn't seem to have visible pupils. Lee, put in a trance by her beauty, ignored him and waltzed over to Sakura.

"Hi, my name is Rock Lee. So yours must be Sakura. Let's go out together! I'll protect you until I die!" he said, giving her a thumbs-up.

It took her awhile to respond, which made Lee even more anxious. Her eyes lowered, and she looked as though she were tired of boys asking her out.

"No way. You're lame," she said quickly.

Lee hung his head in embarrassment as the boy without pupils approached Sasuke. His hitai-ite, which was around his forehead, bore the Konoha Leaf symbol.

"Hey you, what's your name?" he asked with a slight smirk.

"When you want to learn someone's name, you should give yours first," Sasuke responded.

"You're a rookie, right? How old are you?"

"I don't have to answer you."

They both turned on heel and walked away. Sasuke felt somewhat excited for a moment as he thought about the competition. Meanwhile, the doormen watched the genin from a distance where they couldn't be detected.

"Hmm, so those are Kakashi and Gai's prize pupils. I guess they pass the unofficial first test."

"Yeah, this exam is going to be fun…for us examiners too."

"Naruto, Sasuke-kun, let's go!"

Lee watched on as Team 7 departed, however, he felt that he had something important to do.

"C'mon, Lee. What are you doing?" the girl with the buns asked.

There was a moment of silence as Lee merely tuned her out. He turned to them with a serious expression marked on his face.

"Neji, Tenten, you guys go ahead. There's something I'd like to test."

* * *

_A few minutes later…_

Lee finally caught up to the trio. He anxiously looked down on them from the balcony on which he stood.. It was completely silent except for the pattering of their feet. Lee, for a moment, was merely thinking of what to say to gain their attention…but his focus wasn't on Sakura or Naruto…

"Hey, guy with the dark hair!"

The three turned to acknowledge the source of the high-pitched voice. Upon seeing him again, Sakura made a noise of disgust while Sasuke looked up at him, a small grin on his face.

"What is it?" he responded.

Lee seemed serious about something as he glared at Sasuke through his large round eyes. Naruto squinted at Lee because his vision gradually began getting blurry. In addition, the same empty, hungry feeling he felt back in the hospital reemerged, which worried him.

"_Damn, not again! What is it? I have to figure it out!"_

Naruto's legs, at this point, felt flimsy beneath him. That, coupled with the fiery sensation in his body, made him feel as if he would pass out any second.

"I would like to challenge you to a fight!"

Naruto would've liked to intervene not only to finally fight someone other than Sasuke but so the attention would be on him for once. However, the way he was feeling was indescribable by mere words.

"And you want to fight at this moment?"

As if in response, Lee jumped down from the balcony and assumed a taijutsu pose.

"Let's go," Lee said with a glint in his abnormally large, round eyes.

* * *

_A/N: Questions, comments, complaints, criticisms? If any, leave a review. Thanks for reading!_


	4. Just the Beginning

**_Chapter 4_**

**_Just the Beginning_**

Lee glared at Sasuke with utter hatred and disgust, yet there was also a hint of excitement that he seemed to contain pretty well. There was a fire burning within him that needed wood, and it didn't take long for him to realize that Sasuke was that wood. Lee's slick, shiny hair reflected the sunlight from the windows behind them, making it hard for Sasuke to keep his eyes on him. The stern silence was unbearable yet awkward.

Lee stared into his eyes, seemingly gazing fixedly onto his very soul. Sasuke stared back, unmoved by his stone gaze. Sakura and Naruto could only sit and wait for the silent feud to be over.

"You've been through quite a lot," Lee finally said. "You might be a tough opponent."

"_What the hell? Does this guy know about me?"_

"I am Rock Lee. When you want to know a person's name you introduce yourself first, right?"

"Uchiha Sasuke," he briskly responded.

"Well, Sasuke, I hope you accept my challenge. I simply want to test my skills against the offspring of the genius clan."

"_So he knows that much about me; I'll give him that."_

"_I'm so lucky! I already get to face one of the top genin! Don't worry Gai Sensei, I won't let you down."_

"You should take this name more serious! Now you're about to feel the power…of Uchiha!"

Naruto was getting tired of constantly hearing Sasuke's name. The attention-loving blond usually would've intervened, but the way he was feeling had him thinking twice about such an idea.

"I hate to rain on your parade, but you guys can't defeat me…because I am the strongest Konoha genin. I've endured more physical, mental, and emotional pain than anyone at the academy."

A smirk could barely be seen on Sasuke's face before he let out a near inaudible chuckle.

"You're one cocky son of a bitch…let's do it, thick brows."

Luckily, Sakura spotted a clock on the far wall, reminding her of where they were supposed to be.

"Sasuke, we only have 30 minutes until the meeting."

"I'll be done in less than five!" he shouted, charging Lee.

However, Lee just stood in the same spot, waiting for Sasuke to come within striking distance.

"_Sorry, Gai Sensei. I think I'm going to break your rules. I may need to use that technique…"_

Lee had already formulated his strategy. He would simply counter Sasuke's moves until he had an opening to use his technique. Now, he was in hand-to-hand distance.

"Konoha Bouseki Kaze!" (Hidden Leaf Spinning Wind)

Lee did a spin move, kicking Sasuke's leg with shin-splitting force. However, it was just a distraction, as the true attack came from above. Sasuke dodged it, probably avoiding a concussion, but still, he was being hit from all sides by a flurry of kicks.

"_SHIT! I can't dodge anything! I can't block for the entire fight either!"_

Before he could react, Sasuke was sent flying to the ground by a powerful kick to the face.

"_WHAT THE FUCK?" _Sasuke thought.

"_He had that blocked," _Sakura thought, her overwhelming concern for Sasuke getting the best of her.

"_He fucking slipped right through my guard! Is he using ninjutsu or genjutsu?"_

Sakura, who was staring into Sasuke's eyes, noticed something different about them.

"_He's activated the Sharingan!"_

"_This should give me a chance to practice to use these eyes."_

"_So that's the Sharingan," _Lee thought, now with a more aggressive expression on his face than before.

"_If this is the same kekkei genkai as Kakashi Sensei's," _Sakura thought, _"then he should be able to read Thick Brows moves. This fight will be over soon."_

Sasuke charged Lee once again, this time with a different intention. Now that he had the two-tomoe Sharingan activated, he might have an advantage. As he neared Lee, he noticed that he was gone. The next thing he knew, he being sent into the air by an upward kick.

"_DAMN IT! The Sharingan can't read his movements? Impossible!"_

"Yes, my techniques are neither ninjutsu nor genjutsu," Lee said as if reading his mind.

Sasuke's body was now parallel with the floor. Lee jumped into the air, right under him, so that he could initiate his next technique.

"Kage Konoha Odori!" (Shadow Hidden Leaf Dance)

There was nothing Sasuke could do for the moment. He was at Lee's total mercy.

"My skills are merely simple taijutsu. It may be hard to swallow, but people say that the Sharingan has the ability to reveal different types of jutsu. Taijutsu is a little different than ninjutsu and genjutsu, which need some form of chakra to be released and hand seals to be performed."

"What the hell do you mean?"

"What I'm saying is this: even if you can read my movements with your eyes, your body doesn't have the speed to react to my taijutsu…you're Sharingan is useless."

As if by some form of magic, the bandages around Lee's arms unwound themselves.

"Let me tell you something else you might not know. Among strong people exists two types: genius types and hardworking types. If your Sharingan, then, is a genius type from the Uchiha clan, then I am simply a hardworking type who has mastered only taijutsu. I am your worst possible match up, and I'll finally prove that hard work surpasses genius!"

Seemingly out of nowhere, some sort of novelty fan came flying at Lee, impaling his bandage on the wall. Sakura and Naruto were flabbergasted at the sight of the giant turtle. On its shell were many swirls and its hitai-ite was around its neck.

"That's enough, Lee!" it said.

Lee's struggle to release the bandage from the wall pulled him out of the air. Sasuke's momentum began to run out, so Sakura made sure she was there to catch him. Once again…silence.

"_Sasuke…" _thought Naruto.

Sakura looked Sasuke in the face. He was somewhat pale. She took his hand to ease the shaking.

"_He isn't ready to die," _she thought.

"So you were watching," Lee said, his head hung in shame and embarrassment.

"That technique is forbidden! Damn it, Lee!"

"Kame (Turtle) Sensei, I apologize! I just wanted to test my skills, and I didn't plan on using the other one! Please don't call him!"

"You think you can get away with an excuse again, and in that manner? You know damn well enough what it means for a shinobi to reveal his special techniques, don't you?"

"Yes," he quickly responded.

"_Damn, I lost to these fucking weirdos."_

"Here comes Gai," the turtle said.

A cloud of smoke appeared on top of its shell, a slender figure slowly coming into view.

"_Oh my God! What is he!?" _Sakura thought.

The trio stood with gaping mouths because the stunning similarity between Gai and Lee came as quite of a shock. He jumped off of the turtle and pointed to the spot in front of him.

"Come here, Lee."

Without rearing his fist back, he punched Lee in the face, leaning into it to add extra force. Lee was sent flying, sliding along the floor and eventually coming to a stop. Lee slowly arose, tears pouring not only out of his eyes, but out of Gai's also.

"Sensei…I…I…"

Gai forcefully grabbed Lee, embracing his student as they cried in each other's arms.

"There, there, Lee. You don't have to say it."

The trio, at this point, was completely stupefied. All Sasuke could think about was how he lost to Lee.

"It's alright, Lee. You made a mistake. That's part of what youth is all about! Embrace it, Lee, but don't make any mistakes!"

"Yes, Sensei!"

"Now, you started a fight and nearly broke my rules; your punishment will take place after the exams."

"Yes, Sensei!"

"It will be 500 laps around the practice area!"

"Yes, Sensei!"

Gai glanced over at the others, already knowing, although not by name, who they were.

"Hey you guys! How's Kakashi doing?"

"You know Kakashi?" Sasuke asked.

Gai was so quick, that it took awhile for Sasuke to notice that he was gone from view, even though he had just been looking straight at him.

"People often refer to us as 'Eternal Rivals,'" he said from behind them.

"_When did he…?" _Sasuke thought.

"Now, all of you should be going to where you're supposed to," Gai said, throwing a kunai at the toy in the wall, thus releasing Lee's bandage. "Good luck."

With that, he vanished in another cloud of smoke.

"Sasuke, I have to say one more thing. I lied before. Most likely, the strongest Konoha genin is on my team. I've entered this to defeat him, and you're just one of my targets. Be prepared," he said as he leapt from view.

Sasuke trembled with anger, his facial expression telling the other two how he felt at the moment. Sakura took a glance over at Naruto, surprised at how pale he had gotten.

"Naruto, are you okay?"

"Yeah, I'm fine," he lied.

"Alright, guys. Let's go!" Sasuke directed.

* * *

_Later, Room 301…_

"Kakashi Sensei," Sakura said, wondering why Kakashi was here.

He stood in front of a large door with a sign above it that read 301. They've arrived at their destination. As usual, they couldn't tell how he felt or what he wanted by his stoic demeanor.

"So you came, Sakura. Now we can take the exam."

"What do you mean?" she asked.

"Truth is this exam can only be taken by teams of three."

"But you said taking the test was an individual choice…you lied to us?" Sakura said.

"Look, if I would've told you the truth, Naruto or Sasuke would've pressured you to take the exam. Even if you didn't want to, if Sasuke asked you, you would, even though it wasn't in your heart."

"So if only they showed up?"

"They wouldn't get to go any further. It would end here…but you came of your own free will. For that, I am proud of you. Now go! You guys are ready!" Kakashi said joyously.

Even though they couldn't tell whether he was smiling or not, his high spirit and motivation lightened the austere mood and made his team more determined to pass the exams. Readily, they opened the large door and entered…as a team.


	5. Chuunin Exams, Pt I

_A/N: It wasn't a long wait, was it? Well, this is how it's going to be from now on, as, per request of one reviewer, I need to significantly lengthen my chapters, which I was already concerned about before I got the suggestion. Anyway, most of the Chunin Exam arc will follow canon, as I've probably said before. However, I just want to make a reminder that it will eventually branch out somewhere in the middle of the exams, if not later, as I've also probably said before._

_Enjoy!_

**_

* * *

_**

**_Chapter 5_**

**_It's Finally Here! The Chunin Exams, Part I_**

The large door made a slight creak as it was opened, substantially increasing Naruto's already severe migraine. It was so quiet, you could hear a senbon drop, and the only sources of any noise were coming from the pattering of the feet of the three genin. Once the doors opened, they beheld an astonishing sight. Absolutely everything ceased the moment the three entered, several hundred or so genin turning to acknowledge the strangers. The trio never thought there would be so many; well nobody thought there would be so many for that manner.

"Sasuke, you're late!" a voice shouted.

"Not this ugly bitch," Sakura mumbled under her breath.

"I never would've thought I'd see you here!…and I like the fact that you brought your pink-haired, drooling fan-girl!"

"You're looking good, Ino. Finally decided to use a little makeup today?" Sakura countered, trying to sound aggressive and serious.

"Anyway, I'd like to introduce my teammates," Ino said. "The fat ass eating the chips is Choji, and the one with the mesh shirt and ponytail is Shikamaru."

Nothing was said between both teams other than a few nods. The awkward silence was finally broken by a rough voice that could only belong to the animalistic Kiba, his dog, Akamaru, resting atop his head.

"Finally found you guys! So everyone is assembled," he said with a thin grin fixed on his narrow face.

"Damn, you guys too?" Shikamaru asked, no change in tone or expression whatsoever.

"So all nine of this year's rookie genin are taking the exam. I wonder how far we'll all get, huh, Sasuke?" Kiba said with a cautious eye on Sasuke.

"You seem confident…just don't lose yourself to it," Sasuke warned.

"Ha! We trained our asses off for this exam! There's no way in hell we're going to lose to you guys!" Kiba shouted.

The tensions have already begun to arise, and Team 7 hasn't been in the cramped room for more than five minutes. While they frequently argued and went back and forth about how much training they put into the exams, all Choji could think about was how tasty Akamaru looked.

"Hey! You kids should be more quiet!" an unfamiliar voice said. "You guys are rookies fresh out of the academy, right? Figures…screaming like damn school girls."

"Who the hell do you think you are?!" Kiba flared.

"I'm Kabuto, but don't mind me for the moment…mind them." he said, using his head to point in the direction behind them. "Those shinobi are from Amegakure (Hidden Rain Village). They're known to have short tempers and they're nervous about the exams so if you care about one another, you guys would lower the volume."

Kabuto reached his left hand into the pouch he kept tied at his waist. As he lowered his head, his eyes became invisible as his glasses reflected all surrounding light. A grin appeared on his face; subtle, but enough to make any shinobi skeptical of his motives.

"So…Kabuto, this is your second time?" Sakura asked nervously.

"Nope…my seventh. This exam is held twice a year, meaning this would be my fourth year," he replied, not at all ashamed that he was probably the oldest shinobi in a room full of rookies.

"Wow, so you must know a lot about this exam," Sakura said.

"That's right," he said as he pulled a deck of cards out of his pouch. "I'm feeling generous today so I'll share some information with you guys…with these nin-info cards."

Kabuto looked up to meet the many funny expressions of the genin he'd just confused into speechlessness. Naturally, they had now formed a circle around him, trying to get a descent view of what he was about to do next. He then put the deck on the floor, taking a card off the top.

"Basically, these are just normal cards with info burned onto them with chakra. They look blank, but the only way to display the info on these cards is with chakra," he said, putting his finger on the card he pulled out.

Sending chakra into the card caused an invisible picture to be revealed, in this case, a graph of sorts.

"Those bars next to each country represent the number of those taking the exam and from what country, the most being from Konoha, as you can see."

Everyone was impressed. They had never seen anything like that before. However, there was still something on Sasuke's mind. For some reason, part of him didn't want to mention it; it would be too humiliating. But then there was that other guy, Gaara. Sasuke imagined fighting him. Of course, he always won, but what if they fought for real; who would win? He needed information.

"Do you have cards with info on individuals?"

Kabuto smirked. "I see. There are some guys you're worried about? Of course the info on this year's exam participants isn't perfect, but I do have it."

"Gaara from Suna and Rock Lee from Konoha," Sasuke said quickly.

"Should be easier if I know their names," Kabuto said, almost immediately pulling out two cards and slapping them on the floor.

Sasuke stared hard at the nin-info cards of his two most potentially dangerous adversaries. However, he couldn't understand how to read it, so he just stared blankly while listening to Kabuto's explanation.

"First is Lee. He's a year older than you guys."

Mission History

A-Rank: 0

B-Rank: 0

C-Rank: 12

D-Rank: 20

Sensei(s)

Gai

Skills (10 is skilled, 1 is impressive)

Taijutsu-10

Ninjutsu-1

Genjutsu-1

Tool-5

Kekkei Genkai-Unknown

"Next is Gaara," Kabuto continued.

Mission History

A-Rank: 0

B-Rank: 1

C-Rank: 8

D-Rank: Unknown

Sensei(s)

Unknown

Skills (10 is skilled, 1 is impressive)

Taijutsu-Unknown

Ninjutsu-Unknown

Genjutsu-Unknown

Tool-Unknown

Kekkei Genkai-Unknown

"Since he's a newcomer from a foreign country, I don't have much info. Look, I want you guys to realize that this isn't going to be a cakewalk. Talented shinobi from all the elemental countries is here for this exam. You also have to realize that they've worked just as hard, if not harder, than most of you here."

Sakura looked anxious, as if she was slowly suffocating. She finally opened her mouth, allowing herself to breath as she questioned Kabuto's statement.

"So basically all the shinobi here are-"

"Yep, like Lee and Gaara, they are the on the top…the elite genin from the various elemental countries."

"_Well, that's a fucking soul crusher," _Shikamaru thought.

If Naruto didn't feel like dying right now, he usually would've made a scene with some sort of crazy outburst about how he wouldn't lose to those other shinobi. Little did Naruto and the rest know, they were being watched from afar by some of the most dangerous genin in the room.

"It's that guy from before," Kankuro said to his sibling, Gaara.

Gaara nodded in response, waiting for the time to come when he would be able to show his power in another country.

"That's the guy…Sasuke," Lee said to Neji.

"I'll have to keep an eye on him," Neji replied, veins appearing at his temples leading to his pupil less eyes as they scanned the room.

"Damn, I'm getting bored," an Oto shinobi said to one of his comrades, his hitai-ite bearing the symbol of an eighth note. "Let's have some fun already."

"Good idea," the other responded, a blanket of, what appeared to be long, white hair or fur trailing behind him. "Let's go."

The three Oto shinobi sped through the crowd, weaving in and out of groups of people without even scraping another person. Though they were completely silent as they moved, Kabuto somehow sensed their presence within the large mass of people.

The shinobi with the long hair lifted his right sleeve, revealing some sort of mechanism on his arm. Meanwhile, the other male Oto shinobi didn't hesitate to attack, as he jumped in the air, throwing several kunai at Kabuto that he managed to dodge by leaping backwards. Before he could react, the one with the long hair was within striking distance, in the process of bringing his fist around for a powerful right hook.

"_These are Oto-nin," _Kabuto realized.

Kabuto didn't go anywhere; rather, he dodged it in the same spot by leaning backwards. Judging by the looks of surprise on everyone's face, they couldn't believe that he dodged the hit.

"_Good speed," _Sasuke thought.

However, a moment later, his right lens of his glasses cracked, even though it seemed that he completely dodged it.

"_I get it…the purpose of that attack…wasn't to hit me…"_

It was completely silent, except for the gags and sound of vomit splattering on the floor. Somehow, probably because of the attack, Kabuto began vomiting. Sakura ran to his aid, lifting him from the pool of bodily waste.

"Tch! You're fucking pathetic! You're a goddamn four year veteran!" the one with the long hair shouted.

"Write this down on those damn cards and don't forget it! The three Oto shinobi…definitely future chunins!" the one with the spiky, black hair followed.

There was an austere moment of silence that only further increased the already high tensions in the room. Soon afterwards, a cloud of smoke appeared in the front of the room along with a loud, booming voice, relieving the grim atmosphere of the room.

"Quiet down you damn bastards!" the voice from behind the cloud said.

As the cloud dispersed, several figures emerged, revealing a man in a black trench coat with a scar across his face and many other shinobi behind him, all clad in the same uniform.

"Thanks for waiting patiently. I'm Morino Ibiki, the Examiner for the Chunin Selection Exam's first test," he said with a slim grin on his face. "You three Oto-nin in the back! Stop doing as you damn well please before the exam! Do you want to fail before it's even started?"

"I apologize. This is our first time; we just got a little carried away," the one with the long hair said with a subtle tone of sarcasm.

"You know what? That brings me to the first point. There will be no fight without direct permission from the Examiner, me. Even if permission is granted, killing your opponent will not be tolerated. Those that disobey me will be failed immediately. Do I make myself clear?"

Stunning silence filled the room again as the Examiner's dark eyes scanned the room, piercing the souls of the numerous shinobi that stared back into them.

"We will now start the exam. Instead of your current seating arrangements, you will be given a numbered tab that will indicate your seat. We will then hand out the exams," he said, waving a large stack of papers in his hand.

"_Damn, a fucking paper test!" _Naruto thought, since he didn't have the will to make any outbursts at the moment.

"Don't turn your tests over yet. Listen closely to what I'm about to say. Now, there are many important rules to this first test. I'll write them on the blackboard as I explain, but questions will not be allowed, so listen carefully. First rule: everyone in this room starts off with ten points. The test is ten questions and each one is worth one point, however, this test uses a subtraction system. Basically, if you answer all ten questions correctly then you keep your full points. Now, say you miss three; you lose three points and will be reduced to seven."

"Naruto," Hinata whispered.

He glanced over to his right, just now noticing that the girl with pupil less eyes was sitting next to him. He was surprised at first, as this was his first time he ever looked into her eyes, lost in a void of nothingness.

"Let's do our best," she whispered.

"Second rule: this is a team test. The combined score of your team determines whether or not you pass. So each team will compete to see how many points they can hold on to from the initial team total of 30."

"Why does it have to be a team test?" Sakura asked, her sudden outburst startling even her.

"Shut up! I said no questions! There is a reason for this, so be quiet and listen! Third rule: anyone caught cheating by any means by any of the testing officials…will have two points deducted for every offense."

"Trust me, we'll have our eyes on you," one of them said from the front.

"Let me put it this way as to make it sound a little better. To improve and achieve your goals and dreams, you can't cheat your way there…you have to earn it…just like you have to earn the points on this test. Now, the fourth and final rule: those lose all of their points during the test by cheating or those that miss every question…will be failed along with their two other teammates."

Naruto sat at the table shaking in a cold sweat, worried to no end that he would be the reason why Sakura and Sasuke wouldn't be getting promoted to Chunin this year. It made him even sicker to his empty, growling stomach.


	6. Chuunin Exams, Pt II

**_Chapter 6_**

**_It's Finally Here! The Chunin Exams, Part II_**

Naruto anxiously glanced around the hot, stuffy room, in utter confusion. Everyone was still, staring straight ahead, afraid that their next, sudden move could be their last. The genin next to Naruto was shaking violently, however, no one else noticed but him. The Examiner finally raised his head, his soul-piercing eyes taking in the entirety of the room.

"The exam will last one hour," he said with added bass. "You may begin!"

At that, heads immediately lowered as the genin began their exam, while some others kept their heads raised, daydreaming. Either that, or they were already formulating plans on ways to cheat. Sakura, who sat two rows behind Naruto, began sweating profusely as the thought of him failing came to mind. The only thing standing between her and a promotion was, ironically, her own teammate.

"_Damn. Please, Naruto. I'm not saying you won't pass, and I do believe in you but…just don't get zero points."_

Sasuke, who sat three rows behind Naruto, seemed to feel slightly concerned about the exam, though he wasn't worrying as much as Sakura. Deep down inside, he believed that Naruto would prevail. The only thing on Sakura's mind was hoping that her dumb teammate would pass; however, it didn't take her long to realize that she had to concentrate on _her_ exam. She lifted her paper, carefully reading number two.

"_Alright, so No. 2 says: Line B, seen in the picture, is the greatest possible distance a shinobi can throw his shuriken from a tree that is 7 meters high. For enemies who appear within the circumference of the shuriken's range, explain the attack options using this distance. Show your work." _

Sakura looked up from her paper and glanced at Naruto, who was resting his head on his fist. At this point, she began to feel bad for him. Well, not just Naruto but for her team. Sakura now faced the reality that they were probably going to fail because of Naruto.

"_This is an advanced question that requires a high amount of both book smarts and experience. There's no way Naruto will be able to answer this…nobody can for that matter…except me."_

A slight, yet visible grin appeared on Sasuke's face, as if he'd figured something out.

"_Hmm, damn, I can't answer a single one…plus what's with No. 10? It says: This question will be revealed 45 minutes after the exam begins. Listen to the Examiner closely before answering."_

Meanwhile, a stressed out Naruto ran his fingers through his blond hair, frightened that he had absolutely no hope of passing unless he cheated, which probably wouldn't work either but would, nonetheless, increase his chance of passing.

"_What's with them," _Sasuke thought, taking occasional glances at the two testing officials seated by the window. _"It's like they assume we'll cheat…those bitches."_

As Sakura contemplated how many teams were likely to pass the exam, the genin sitting next to her, as if reading her mind, arose from his seat. The room's attention was now on him, as he would probably make a bold move.

"Umm, I'd just like to know one thing. How many teams will pass this exam?"

"Don't waste your time asking such dumb-ass questions! How will knowing that help you to pass your exam? Sit down."

"_I thought so," _Sakura thought. _"If only 10 of the 51 teams will pass then you have to score a lot of points. This is a system that encourages cheating …hopefully Naruto and Sasuke won't be so foolish."_

Sasuke, whose mind was completely off of the exam, glanced at the line of testing officials sitting in a line along the east wall of the room. One of them, with a smirk on his face, wrote something down on his paper.

"_Someone just got caught," _Sasuke thought.

As he looked down onto his paper, he thought back to what the Examiner said about cheating and being proud ninjas. Suddenly, his eyes bulged, as he had just figured out how the exam works.

"_So this isn't a test just to measure our intelligence. Shit, hurry up and notice too, Naruto. It could cost you everything because this is also a test to see how well you can gather information with our skills. What the Examiner was really saying was that if you're going to cheat, don't do it pathetically but like a proud ninja and don't get caught. If you look at it that way, the subtraction point system and the fact that they let you get caught cheating 4 times before failing, all actually makes sense. Damn, notice it soon, Naruto. The smarter ones will begin to make their moves."_

Gaara glanced over at his brother, Kankuro, who looked pissed. Gaara usually couldn't decipher his expressions because of all the purple facial paint the wore.

"_Don't look at me like that," _Kankuro thought._ "Wait, so Gaara has also started…I'm counting on you Karasu."_

Meanwhile, Akamaru, atop Kiba's head, gave him answers as he had a good view of the tests around him.

A small wasp flew around the room, apparently undetected by the other genin. However, little did anyone know, other than Shino, that the insect was gathering and retaining information for him. It landed on his outstretched finger. The bee took off again, flying in a figure-eight pattern, telling Shino that the answer it got was eight.

Above the classroom was probably the most ingenious cheating tool used in the room. In one of the light fixtures, there were a series of small mirrors that hung by kunai, clearly revealing answers on papers that were otherwise impossible to see from Ten Ten's angle. She wasn't the only one using it though. The only other person that knew it was there was Lee, who, as planned, touched his hitai-ite to signal that he could clearly see the answer.

The Oto genin with the long, white hair lowered his head, concentrating on the sound of the person's pencil in front of him. By concentrating solely on the sound of the pencil strokes, he could determine what the person was writing.

Neji, whose kekkei genkai, Byakugan was activated, could see the paper through the person who was sitting in front of him.

Sasuke also used his kekkei genkai, the Sharingan, to copy the pencil movements of the person in front of him.

All the while, while everyone else gathered information one way or the other, Naruto sat there, still running his hands through his hair.

"_THINK! THINK, DAMN IT! I HAVE TO FIND A WAY TO CHEAT!"_

Suddenly, a kunai zipped past Naruto's face, the fur tied at the end grazing his ear. The weapon went through someone's paper and embedded into the table. Naruto didn't dare turn around.

"_What was that?" _Naruto thought. _"I was about to look-"_

"What the hell was that for?!"

The testing official slowly rose from his seat, his hand on his hip. The genin was sweating and his button-up shirt was visibly soaked. The official's head leaned slightly to the right, an expression of austerity engraved on his bandaged face.

"You were caught five times. You fail."

The genin's eyes widened and his mouth dropped as he began sweating again.

"N-no way in hell-"

"The two on his team, get out…right now."

The incident made Naruto, including everyone else in the room, more cautious of the officials. However, Naruto decided that he wouldn't cheat at all.

"Naruto, you can look at my answers," Hinata whispered.

Naruto, in all his panic and thinking, forgot that Hinata even sat next to him. He slowly turned his head, noticing that her cheeks were a bright red hue.

"Why would you be willing to do that?"

At that question, her cheeks seemingly got redder as she began playing with her fingers.

"I-I don't want you to fail. You see, the nine of us are the only rookies so we need to work together," she lied.

"Oh."

She looked away, sadness in her eyes. She could never tell him…

Naruto glanced over at her paper, realizing that he would get caught. Glancing over at the officials, he saw one write something down on the paper.

"Damn, sorry, Hinata, but I can't cheat. If I do, it'll just get you into trouble anyway, and I don't want that to happen."

"Oh…sorry."

Naruto looked over at the clock mounted on the wall above the door. They had 30 minutes left.

"_Sasuke, Sakura, I'll have to risk it on this."_

"_Looks like Sakura's hand has stopped. It's finally time to do it," _Ino thought. _"Don't worry you dumb broad, I won't make that forehead larger than it already is. So just be thankful that you'll be the target of this jutsu."_

Shikimaru, who sat two people over, saw that Ino fell asleep.

"_She used that jutsu. There's no way anyone can resist," _Shikamaru thought.

Sakura's eyes enlarged as her body jerked into an upright position, a sly grin appearing on her face.

"_Okay, so I have 2-3 minutes to memorize this information. That's the jutsu's time limit. I also have to enter Shikamaru and Choji so I can copy the answers for them as well."_

A pale-looking official with white hair that came to his shoulders, stood up, about to announce that someone else had just failed. His demeanor was much different from the official before. He rose quickly and stood with straight posture. He now had the room's undivided attention.

"Number 102…you fail."

* * *

_A few minutes later…_

Soon afterwards, numerous teams, one after the other, were kicked out because of suspicious activity or cheating. As the class size got smaller, the atmosphere got grimmer.

"Number 23, you fail."

"Numbers 43 and 27, you fail."

"_Damn, that's 13 teams that have failed already," _Kabuto thought. _"You'd think that after the first 12, the 13th__ would be afraid to cheat."_

"FUCK!" a genin shouted as he slammed his fist on the table. "Do you have any sort of proof that I cheated five times!"

The official vanished, reappearing directly in front of the cheating genin, gripping his shirt and lifting him off of the floor.

"Listen, among Chunins we are the elite that were assembled to watch over this exam. We haven't missed _anything_ you've done," he said, looking around the room, even though his hitai-ite covered his eyes.

The room became filled with fear and anxiety as the genin exchanged expressions of shock and austerity.

"_Why is that kid so calm," _the Examiner thought, staring at Gaara, whose first two fingers of his right hand were over his left eye.

In his outstretched hand, formed an eye made of sand. He then smashed the eye in his hand as he proceeded with his plan. Deciding that he would copy off of the person two rows in front of him, he teleported it to his paper while the unsuspecting and distracted victim rubbed the accumulating dust out of his eyes. Kankuro suddenly stood up with his hand raised.

"I have to go to the bathroom."

They put him in cuffs and tied a rope around them so the official could follow him as to ensure he wouldn't cheat.

* * *

_In the bathroom…_

"You know, those testing officials aren't very impressive," Kankuro said, trying to start some friendly conversation. "They didn't even notice that there was an extra one. Don't you think…Karasu?"

What appeared to be a testing official was actually a doppelganger, as its outer shell began cracking and breaking off.

"So, let's start from question one, huh?"

* * *

_In the class…_

"We will now start number 10," the Examiner said, breaking the stern silence.

"_Hurry up, Kankuro," _his sister, Temari thought, concerned that their plan wasn't going as planned. _"You were supposed to pass the answers to me before the 10__th__ question."_

"Before we get to it," he continued, "I'd like to go over the added rules for this question.

At that moment, Kankuro waltzed in, the official behind him.

"Nice timing. Was your doll-playing beneficial?"

"_Damn, he saw through Karasu."_

"Anyway, I'll now explain. These are the rules of desperation. First, for this last question…you must decide whether you will take it or not."

"Choose?!" Temari blurted. "What if we choose not to?"

The Examiner's eyes narrowed at that question, almost causing Temari to wish she had never asked it.

"If you choose not to, then your points will be immediately reduced to zero and you fail…along with your two other teammates!"

"If that's the case, then of course we'll take the question!" a genin shouted.

"Now, for the other rule," he proceeded. "If you choose to take it and answer incorrectly…that person will lose the right to ever take the Chunin Selection Exams again!"

There were a number of people that looked on in absolute horror because they knew they were going to fail. Everyone was speechless, except one.

"But there are people who have taken the exam before!" Kiba shouted.

"Hmm, you're right…but you guys were unlucky. This year it's my rules, but at least I'm giving you a way out: those that aren't confident can choose not to take it and try again next year."

Another awkward moment of silence was between them and another life-altering decision. This guy, Morino Ibiki, was crazy, but you wouldn't believe that if you knew that he was the Assassination and Torture Captain of Konohagakure. He was an expert at these kinds of things; mental manipulation and persuasion.

"Now, those who don't wish to take the challenge; those who don't wish to move on and become stronger mentally, physically, and emotionally, raise your hand. Once your number is confirmed, you may leave."

The boy sitting next to Naruto stopped shaking but was now rocking back and forth in his seat. He finally realized that he couldn't go on and stood up with his hand in the air.

"Numbers 50, 111, 130, 125, 110, 95 all fail," an official said.

The room slowly emptied, one shinobi at a time. Naruto couldn't bear the atmosphere much longer. He began seeing double, but he had to hold out for Sakura and Sasuke. Had he not been shivering in a cold sweat, he would've raised his hand and blurted out how he shouldn't be underestimated and that he would never run from a challenge.

"_78 left…more than I expected," _the Examiner thought, exchanging smirks with the officials. _"No point in stretching this any longer."_

Everyone waited for what was next. The tension was at its peak. Sakura leaned forward in her seat with her face in her hands, in preparation for what horror was about to come out of the Examiner's mouth next.

"To everyone still remaining…I congratulate you on passing the first test!"

There were looks of astonishment all around the room. Even the officials didn't think that he would announce it this early.

"Wait, what about the 10th question?" Sakura asked.

"There was never such a thing, or you could say that those two choices were the 10th question," the Examiner said with a smile, which came as a shock to some.

"Then what were the first nine questions for?!" Temari blurted. "They were pointless!"

"They were not pointless! They already served their intended purpose: to test how well you can gather information without being caught. The ones that are sitting in this room right now are smart enough to realize that those questions were too advanced for a mere genin. Thus, I'm sure that most of you came to the same conclusion: that to score points, you'll have to cheat. That was the premise of this exam. As cheating targets, we had two Chunins who knew all of the answers blend into the crowd, just to help you guys out. Of course, I stand by my philosophy that those who cheat poorly, fail."

He took his cap off of his head along with his hitai-ite, revealing scars of all sorts that covered the entirety of his head. The sight was too gruesome for some of the genin, including Sakura and Hinata, so they just turned away.

"Don't turn your heads! Look at me damn it! That's right, take it in. This is what being a shinobi is about. You'll see much worse than this, so until then…just…enjoy your…young years," he said, his voice trailing off and sadness in his eyes. "Anyway, in times, information is more important than life and on missions and the battlefield, people risk their lives to get their hands on it."

"_Damn, burns, screw holes, scars…the aftereffects of torture," _Sasuke thought.

"I still don't understand the final question," Temari said.

"This exam wouldn't be what it is without the 10th question," he said, putting his cap back on. "When you think about it, it was used to test how easily you give up or retreat; to test your courage…to, most importantly, test your loyalty to your teammates. If you are a genin sitting in this room, then you have what it takes to pass the second test and so forth."

Suddenly, a black object came flying into the room at incredible speeds. It unleashed two tentacle-like objects that embedded in the ceiling while a figure rolled out and stood up.

"Whoa! She's sexy as hell!" one genin shouted from the back.

"You got that right!"

"I'm the Examiner for the second test, Mitarashi Anko!" she yelled, glancing across the room. "78? Ibiki, you left 26 teams? The test was too easy this time!"

"Well, this time, there are a lot with potential," he replied.

"Hmm, that's fine. I'll at least cut this number in half."

"_Cut this number?…in half?" _Sakura thought.

"I'll explain everything once we've changed places," Mitarashi said.

* * *

_A while later…_

Ibiki went around collecting papers, finally arriving at Naruto's. He picked it up, stunned.

"Heh, damn. I just passed a kid who didn't write a single thing. At least the others tried. Hmph, interesting kid," he said with a smile.

* * *

_Meanwhile…_

The 78 astonished genin stood in front of what was about to be their next test: a dark, giant forest. For some reason, the sight of it made Naruto's legs unstable. Mitarashi turned to face the group in front of the entrance, which had a 'stay out' sign posted on it.

"Welcome to the stage for the second test, Practice Arena 44, also known as…The Forest of Death!"

* * *

_A/N: Sorry for the boring chapter, however, it is still just as important as all the other ones. Anyway, since the setting for the next few chapters will be the Forest of Death, you can expect action later on. I'm having a little trouble as to how I can meld Naruto's kekkei genkai with the main story, so if I make any obvious or even subtle mistakes, let me know._

_Questions, comments, complaints, criticisms? Leave a review! Thanks for reading!_


	7. Chuunin Exams, Pt III

_A/N: Greetings, all. First thing I'd like to say: If you knew me for awhile as either **Afrosamurai **or **Z the Neko Majin**, sorry for the name change and any confusion. I just needed something new, I guess. Anyway, the main thing I want to say is that I finished this chapter under my punishment. Yes, I'm risking my neck for you guys, my readers. This chapter was fun to type, also adding a little twist somewhere in there. So, without further ado...the story!_

_Enjoy!_

**_

* * *

_**

**_Chapter 7_**

**_It's Finally Here! The Chuunin Exams, Pt. III: Forest of Death_**

The massive crowd of genin looked at the forest with anxious looks. There was no doubt that they were all nervous, but the sight of their next test just magnified the feeling. Strange noises and the snapping of twigs and branches could be heard from where they were standing, immobilizing the genin where they stood. Anko turned on heel, facing the genin, a slim, creepy grin engraved on her flawless face.

"You kids will find out soon enough why it's called the Forest of Death."

As Naruto took a deep breath, he glanced around at the other genin. Some were utterly petrified, while others, like Shikimaru, remained adamant about the situation. Naruto put his hands behind his head and waited for the proctor to speak.

Anko held up a stack of papers. "Now, before we start, I have to pass these out."

Most of the genin put on expressions of perplexity, not knowing what to make of, what might be, her idea of a joke.

"Another written part?" one genin asked.

"You all need to sign these agreement forms," she said, in a completely different mood from before.

"What for?"

"There will be deaths in this test. If one of you were to die without signing, it would all come down on me, got it? Now, after my explanation, sign these and head over to that booth behind me. All in a nutshell, this is a survival test. First, I'm going to explain the test area," she said, rolling out a concealed map. "Around Practice Area 44 are 44 locked gates. There are a forest, river, and tower are at the center. From the gates to the tower is about 10 kilometers. During the survival, you will be asked to complete a certain task. Utilizing your many weapons and jutsu, you will compete in a no rules Scroll Battle."

She pulled two scrolls out of her jacket. Naruto, as well as maybe a few other genin, stared in awe at the scrolls. They looked as if something very important was inscribed within them. Who knows? Naruto knew for sure though that when they acquired both scrolls, he would take a peek, predicting that it might contain a high rank jutsu, like his last experience.

"_Damn, I can't wait! But I'd feel much better if my brain didn't feel like jumping out of my skull!" _Naruto thought with a grimace of pain on his face.

Anko proceeded. "Each and every one of you will fight over possession of these two scrolls: Earth and Heaven. There are 26 teams, meaning half of you will get the Earth and the other half, Heaven."

She juggled the scrolls around in her hands before bringing them to her face. Some of the genin in front of her attentively leaned forward, ready for anything that was about to come out of her mouth.

"To pass this test, your team must make it to the tower with both scrolls."

"_So it's like that. 13 have to pass, 13 have to fail," _Sakura thought.

"Another thing," she continued. "There's a time limit of 120 hours…five days."

Other than the occasional gasp, there wasn't a sound even uttered out of the genin. Eyes widened and mouths dropped to the floor, they listened to what else she had to say.

"As the days drag on, the distance to the goal will become farther, and the time to rest will become shorter. Not to mention that the forest is crawling with enemies, so most of you won't get much sleep. Now, disqualification conditions. First, those who don't make it to the tower, even with both scrolls, within the time limit. Second, those who lose a teammate or have a teammate killed. Lastly, and most importantly, no one must look inside the scroll until you get to the tower."

"What happens if you do?" Ino asked with a pale expression.

"That will remain a surprise for anyone who does," she promptly responded.

* * *

_A few minutes later…_

Team 7 approached the booth with an air of confidence. Naruto handed the papers to the instructor, obtaining a Heaven scroll in return.

* * *

_Half an hour later…_

Only 30 minutes ago was Team 7 standing on the other side of the metallic gate, ready to face what challenges and obstacles awaited them within the forest. It didn't seem like such a long wait for the test to start, even though there were high tensions. Naruto began lagging behind Sasuke and Sakura, claiming he had to piss.

"At least do it in the bushes, Naruto!" Sakura yelled.

Naruto jumped behind a shrub, reappearing as fast as he had disappeared. However, Sasuke observed him with narrowed eyes, quickly realizing that something wasn't right. With a powerful, lightening fast fist, he punched Naruto in the face, sending him flying into a nearby tree.

"Sasuke!" Sakura blurted.

"What the fuck are you doing?" Naruto asked as he rose, wiping the blood from his mouth with his sleeve.

"Where's the real Naruto?"

"What the hell are you talking about?"

"I know you're an imposter. Your shuriken holster is on your left leg; Naruto is right-handed. Maybe you should examine your target closer before you transform."

Caught, the shinobi revealed his true guise as he charged Sasuke. The ninja had long, raven colored hair and covering his mouth was, what looked like a mouth guard, some sort of breathing device.

Sasuke, in retaliation, formed the six required hand seals for his jutsu before curling his fingers and thumb around his mouth. "Katon: Hōsenka no Jutsu!" (Fire Release: Phoenix Immortal Fire Technique)

The Uchiha, now in the air, had showered the area with multiple balls of flame but to no avail. The shinobi ran through, fluidly dodging every one. Sasuke had managed to quickly swing underneath a large branch, avoiding several kunai that were meant to incapacitate him.

"_Shit! An explosive tag!"_

Tied to one of the kunai was a tag that caught fire before exploding moments later. Sasuke fell to the ground, releasing his grip just in time to avoid the bulk of the blast impact.

"Hand over the damn scroll!" the shinobi said from behind.

Suddenly, a kunai flew out of nowhere; however, it wasn't aiming at the shinobi, who leapt into the air. Sasuke channeled his chakra into his foot, grabbing the kunai, whipping his leg around, and sending it flying towards his midair target. He then met up with the enemy shinobi, his kunai piercing the flesh somewhere around his heart. Sasuke's momentum ran out while the mysterious shinobi used that disadvantage to leap away.

"Damn, he got away," Sasuke said, panting. "but…who threw that kunai?"

At that moment, numerous projectiles of all shapes and sizes were launched at the three genin from an undetermined location. They all managed to avoid them by moving out of the area, but their curiosity was stirred by the appearance of a mysterious long-haired figure that wore a large, circular, wicker hat.

* * *

_Meanwhile, with Naruto…_

Naruto lay on his back, completely unaware of his location as well as that of his teammates. As he got to his feet, he realized it suddenly got dark. He looked up, face to face with an overgrown snake that he hoped didn't have an appetite for blond-haired, orange jumpsuit clad shinobi. As he stared the snake in its dull, yellow eyes, he realized that his head was feeling okay. However, Naruto wasn't paying any mind to the snake for a moment and was captured by its tail moments before being ingested whole.

* * *

_With Sasuke and Sakura…_

"So, I'm guessing you guys want my Earth scroll since you already have Heaven," the shinobi said, his abnormally long tongue involuntary wiggling about outside his mouth.

The shinobi held his scroll up, wrapped his tongue around it, and forced it down his throat. A large amount of saliva accompanied the ingestion as he licked his lips, an awkward smile appearing on his face soon afterwards.

"Let's begin the battle for each other's scroll, shall we?"

Abruptly, Sasuke and Sakura found themselves defenseless as they started being pelted and sliced by an innumerable amount of projectiles, some of which managed to pierce their skulls and vital organs. After the ordeal was through, Sasuke and Sakura both fell to their knees, clearly shaken by the experience.

"_Damn, it's just genjutsu. No, this is just fear; the killing intent he's emanating is causing us to see an image of death," _Sasuke thought.

With his Sharingan activated, he was able to swiftly dodge the incoming kunai. While he did miss, there were still blood spots around the area, which he simply followed. Sakura stood by Sasuke as he removed one of his kunai from his leg.

"_Ah, I see. Injuring his own body to substitute the feeling of pain for fear. As I thought, he is a smart one."_

* * *

_With Naruto…_

Naruto, for a moment, found it somewhat hard to believe that he was sliding down the digestive tract of an overgrown snake, close to being dissolved by its stomach acids. Now focusing on his current situation, he almost immediately got an idea.

"Kage Bunshin no Jutsu!" (Shadow Clone Technique)

The snake's body widened as the number of clones increased. Soon, its semi-resilient body began to pulse with the strain of keeping itself together. However, it was too much for its body to bear and it imploded, blood and entrails everywhere Naruto looked.

"Here I come, Sasuke and Sakura!"

* * *

_With Sasuke and Sakura…_

Sasuke and Sakura, both shaken by their brush with death, eventually found, for the moment, safe refuge on a high branch. Sakura was shaking while Sasuke, on the other hand, couldn't stop sweating. He looked her in the eyes for a moment, noticing that they got significantly larger, as she seemed to stare into space.

"Sasuke," she whispered. "A snake!"

Sasuke, not even turning to view the vicious predator, leapt off of the branch while Sakura followed suit. Still elevated, the snake opened its mouth, revealing two five-foot long fangs, already secreting venom. He looked it in its eyes for a few seconds, feeling the same fear he felt when he looked the long-tongued guy in the eyes.

"AHH! GET THE FUCK AWAY FROM ME!"

Adrenaline pumping and in a panic, he threw several kunai at the head of the snake in retaliation; it was a bloody sight.

"You know…as prey…you shouldn't be fighting," something said from within the dead snake. "You should be running…for your lousy fucking lives."

A figure soon emerged from the reptile, ripping its flesh open and adding more blood and gore to the scenery. It was the person with the long tongue again. Sasuke nearly went into cardiac arrest when he started scurrying up the tree towards him, until a few shuriken ceased his ascent.

"Sorry I'm late, guys!" Naruto said, much higher up than they were.

"Hmm, looks like you successfully defeated that giant snake, Naruto."

"_So it was him behind it."_

"_With Naruto here, it isn't like the situation is going to get any better. Or maybe…it could turn out like…no, I have to think of something! We'll be killed!" _Sasuke thought, coming up with a final solution.

"I'll give you the damn scroll," he said, pulling it out. "Just take it and leave us be."

The stranger stood there, neither surprised nor serious. He seemed neutral, and his non-verbal response began to irritate Sasuke. Sakura, whose eyes began to tear up at the conception of losing everything, realized she had trouble standing and dropped to her knees. Naruto, with his arms crossed, glared at Sasuke through narrowed eyes.

"ARE YOU GOING TO TAKE IT OR NOT?"

Still, an awkward moment of silence filled the air, giving Sasuke second thoughts about his proposition. Sasuke's eyes wandered everywhere, trying his hardest not to make eye contact. He did get a good look at his face, however. The man's face looked feminine, and unlike Haku, whose facial features were also feminine, it appeared he was wearing lipstick. With his eyes now on his lips, he could see a smile almost forming, very subtle though.

"Unbelievable, Sasuke! That's how you're going to go out?" Naruto yelled. "How can you give something as important as that up that easily? What're you, fucking AFRAID?"

Sasuke ignored him, noticing that his smile got slightly bigger until it was a full grin. Naruto was probably still up there blabbering, but Sasuke had tuned him out.

"Very smart, indeed. The only way for prey to escape a predator, is to give it a different meal."

Sasuke threw him the scroll, and, as it was in the air, Naruto caught it. He landed next to Sasuke.

"YOU DUMB BASTARD! WHAT ARE YOU DOING?"

"Don't you understand the situation?"

Naruto whipped around, faster than Sasuke could react, and punched him, the spin adding extra force, which threw Sasuke off of the tree and onto a nearby branch.

Sasuke wiped some of the blood from his face with his sleeve, staining the white cloth with blood. "You're pushing your fucking luck!"

"WHY ARE YOU DOING THIS? YOU'RE JUST A FAKE!"

Sakura stared in disbelief. If this was true, how did he notice before she did?

"You may not be stupid, but you are a complete moron. I'm the real Sasuke."

Naruto now felt angrier than he did before. "There's no way that a fucking coward like you is the Sasuke I know! I don't know how strong this guy is but what guarantee is there that he'll let us go once we give him the scroll, huh? Didn't think about that did you, Fake Sasuke?"

"_Oh, that's what Naruto meant," _Sakura contemplated. _"Sasuke giving up so easily isn't the person Naruto knows. That's why he's now referring to him as a fake."_

"Naruto, you are correct. You are _very _correct. I _could _just kill you all and take your scroll."

He lifted his black sleeve, revealing peculiar markings that probably ran up the length of his arm but the rest was concealed by his sleeve. He bit his thumb on his left hand and swiped the blood down his arm.

"FUCK THIS!" Naruto shouted as he charged the stranger.

"Kuchiyose no jutsu!" (Summoning Technique)

"_Sasuke, I've lost respect for you," _Naruto thought.

Before Naruto's very eyes, an enormous snake, several times larger than the one he encountered earlier, materialized before him. The snake was so large that, as it appeared, it was already destroying the forest. Then something struck Naruto, sending him flying the other direction through numerous trees and branches.

"Go ahead…eat him."

Sasuke diverted his gaze another direction as Naruto's seemingly lifeless body fell to the ground. There was nothing he could do.

"What?" Sasuke blurted.

Naruto opened his eyes, punching the enormous snake in its nose. Sasuke and Sakura stared in awe as their comrade suddenly became a different person right before them.

"_Those eyes…there's no mistaking it…"_

"_Is that Naruto?"_

"Ha-ha! Now it's getting exciting. Your turn Sasuke!"

The snake made a beeline for Sasuke, who stood paralyzed with fear. The stranger atop the snake, with his tongue trailing, laughed maniacally as he bulged his eyes. The snake's bright, yellow eyes made Sasuke think twice about running away.

"Wha-?" Sasuke breathed.

In an instant, Naruto stood directly in front of Sasuke, with his back to him. Sasuke, Sakura, and even the stranger stared in awe at the gigantic wall of ice that had appeared, crushing the snake's skull.

"_Ice? From Naruto? What's happening?" _Sakura thought.

"_Th-this can't be! Wait! I don't remember much, but this must have something to do with our fight with Haku! But how?"_

"Hmm, Hyoton (Ice Release). Learned a new trick, I suppose?"

With a hysterical grin on his face all the while, his tongue came out and picked Naruto up, staring him in the eyes.

"I could kill you so effortlessly. But I won't…because I want someone else," he said, glaring at Sasuke through the sheet of ice.

He threw Naruto into the wall of ice headfirst, knocking the boy unconscious. At that, the ice skipped the melting process and instead turned straight into water.

Sakura, involuntarily shaking, closed her eyes. "Sasuke! It may be true that Naruto is clumsy and can get in the way…but…at least he isn't a coward!"

Sasuke took a deep breath as he closed his eyes, apparently in deep thought. Upon reopening, he had his Sharingan activated, along with a morbid hate for not only him, but his brother, who had suddenly come to mind.

"What the hell. I'll test your abilities."

Sasuke pulled out five kunai, four in his hand and one in his mouth, along with a giant shuriken.

"_I must survive if I ever want to kill my brother," _he thought, leaping into the air and throwing the kunai that were in his hand. _"If I can't risk my life here, then how do I expect to risk my life tracking and killing him?"_

While the kunai missed the intended target, Sasuke had another attack in mind, as he had clung to a tree and swung around its broad trunk. _"Gotcha!"_

He swung his shuriken at him, but he leapt out of harm's way, avoiding decapitation. Sasuke swung around the tree again, a kunai in hand with a string tied to it. He reappeared once again, throwing his weapon.

"_I see. He's reading my movements and going for a critical hit."_

In actuality, the shuriken was tied to a string that Sasuke stabilized with his mouth. It swung around to finish him off, but he simply caught it with his mouth.

"Katon: Ryūka no Jutsu!" (Fire Release: Dragon Fire Technique)

Sasuke spewed out a beam of flame that traveled along the wire before the stranger could react. The next moment his face was on fire, yet he just stood there.

"To be able to use the Sharingan so well at this age. You truly are the man that carries the Uchiha blood," he said, his face obscured by a small cloud of smoke.

"You're here for something else, aren't you?…something other than our scroll."

"Well, it's been entertaining, Sasuke. I've finally come to my decision: I want you."

"_Shit! It's that look in his goddamn eyes again! My…body is frozen!"_

"When your desire to kill him finally overwhelms you, you'll seek me."

"Just who the hell are you?"

"My name is Orochimaru, but that's not what's important."

"Well, I don't know what's important to me anymore!"

Orochimaru made a hand seal. "I'll help you," he said as he elongated his neck with his fang-like teeth secreting venom, much like a snake.

He bit Sasuke somewhere around his jugular vein, making sure not to puncture the vital artery. Sakura was petrified as Sasuke began shaking violently. A mark on his neck where Orochimaru bit him soon became visible, and it stunned Sakura, who didn't know what to do.

"WHAT DID YOU DO?"

Sakura glanced around, but he was already gone. Sasuke, still screaming at the top of his lungs, curled up in pain. She had instinctively yelled out for Naruto, looking a few trees over and spotting his unconscious body lying on a branch.

* * *

_Meanwhile, somewhere in the forest…_

Anko stopped on a branch, sensing Orochimaru's presence. Immediately, she took to the air, throwing several knives at him. Before she could react, his tongue reached out and grabbed her arm. They soon began playing a game of tug-a-war as she tried to relinquish his firm grip. He made his way towards her. She turned him, grabbed his hand in hers, and kept them both on the trunk with a kunai.

"Why do you have to go so far?" Orochimaru asked with a sly grin.

"I'm going to borrow your left hand," she said as she made a hand seal with his hand in hers.

"Anko-"

"We'll both die, I know th-"

"Planning to commit suicide?"

Anko looked on in horror as the clone in front of her disseminated into a cloud of smoke.

"You are a valuable Jonin to this village. You shouldn't be going crazy with those forbidden jutsu I taught you." Then he said with a smile, "You might accidentally kill yourself."

"Why are you here?" she asked as he tore the burned remains of his mask off, revealing his true, pale white face.

"Thought I'd drop by for a visit, kill a few shinobi, and recruit some of the more _talented _ones. Oh, and I just gave a kid one of those "curse seals."

"Damn you, Orochimaru, that kid's going to die."

"Yes, the chances of surviving are 1/10, but, like you, he might not die."

"Sometimes, I wish I would have," she said, at this point, breathing heavily and breaking a violent sweat.

"Aww, you want me to cry. Don't worry. No offense, but unlike you, this one is almost perfect. Not only does he excel in certain areas, but he is also very talented. He'll make a fine successor."

"If only he knew-"

"He'll find out in the future, no doubt about that. He'll seek me when he's ready. Now, I have to go. Don't end this exam yet…if you do…well you know."

With that, he vanished in a cloud of smoke, leaving an exhausted and bewildered Anko to meditate not only her future, but also the future of the genin…and the village.

* * *

_A/N: So how was it? I hope you guys stick with it; I have a lot in store for this one! Thanks for reading!_

_Questions, comments, complaints, criticisms?_


	8. Chuunin Exams, Pt IV

_A/N: Greetings, all! Once again, this chapter has been completed under my punishment. I just hope I don't get caught. Anyway, you'll see that the chapter begins to somewhat diverge but not completely. The next chapter will definitely diverge from canon and possibly beyond. Now to answer some reviews:_

_**bechtel1**: You're absolutely right. As a matter fact, I'm not stressing his hunger as much as I'D like. I've had that concern for quite some time. I have to warn you though, Naruto will undergo a drastic personality change as the result. Also, while taking the Curse Seal of Heaven from Sasuke is a good idea, it wouldn't work since Naruto is only capable of taking kekkei genkai. And yes, I will create OC's for original kekkei genkai._

_**KyuubiWindscar**: I probably did have some useless dialogue in there somewhere. You're right, but every line has to fit with the situation. I also went back and changed every instance of Mitrashi to Anko. Lastly, I intentionally let Naruto leave the fight with Orochimaru without the Gogyuo Fuuin for a couple of reasons. One of the reasons I'll need to withold because it will reveal a major plot twist. The other reason is that for Naruto to "leech" a kekkei genkai, he needs a large amount of chakra to do so. Calling on the Kyuubi's is more than sufficient enough to supply him with the extra chakra needed. Since kekkei genkai are genetic, I just assumed it would take a large amount of chakra to take it since it's imprinted on that person's genetic code._

_**esparza3368**: While I wouldn't say he acts like a "loudmouth brat," I can assure you that Naruto's personality will be a lot more serious due to the nature of Hittakuru (Naruto's kekkei genkai). He also won't be desperate for any sort of attention. Much later on, I can guarantee you that Naruto will be a true shinobi, even though some of the things he will do don't follow his nindo. Next, his dream still is to become the Hokage. He just has to live with his "vampire-like" kekkei genkai. Lastly, due to the nature of his kekkei genkai, he won't be drooling over Sakura._

_**Abe95**: I love cliffhangers too. They add suspense. As for Anko and Orochimaru's relationship? Well, let's just say you're on the right track..._

_Now, onward to the story._

_Enjoy!!_

_**UPDATE (12-21-09): **In response to a couple of reviews I received, I went back and changed Lee's jutsu to their proper translation. _

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* * *

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**Chapter 8**

**It's Finally Here! The Chuunin Exams, Pt. IV: Forest of Death II: Sakura Blossoms**

* * *

_Later, with Team 7…_

Sakura anxiously glanced around, realizing how quiet the forest had become as she stood over Sasuke and Naruto. While Sasuke's screaming and shaking had ceased, his breathing was heavy and he was still sweating profusely, all the while with a grimace of pain on his face. Even though his vital signs were normal, she put her hand on his forehead, coming to the conclusion that he had a terrible fever. She looked over at Naruto, seeing that he shared the same pain-filled expression as Sasuke.

"_Naruto…Sasuke…"_

Guarding Sasuke and Naruto, she was completely unaware that she was being watched from afar by the three Oto genin.

"As Orochimaru commanded, we attack Uchiha at daybreak," Dosu stated.

"But if the other two get in the way, we can kill them, right?" Zaku asked.

"Of course," Dosu responded.

Sakura, tending to Sasuke's growing fever, poured water from a small vial onto a piece of cloth and placed it gently on his forehead. She stared at his smooth face for awhile, observing minute details as she continuously nodding her head, as she was becoming drowsy.

"_Stay…awake…wait!…"_

She then felt a peculiar presence behind her, and she pulled out a kunai. She slowly turned her head, observing a seemingly harmless squirrel devouring a nut. The rodent ran towards her, and, in response, she threw her kunai, missing it by mere inches.

"She's quite observant," Zaku said. "She must've noticed the explosive tag on the squirrel."

"No, that's not it."

"What do you mean, Dosu?" he asked.

"We'll probably find out when we get closer. Let's go."

* * *

_The next morning…_

It was cold.

Rather, it was freezing.

Sakura didn't realize, until a few hours ago, how brutal mornings in the forest can be. She looked down at her hands, realizing that her arms were shaking. She also had many bags under her eyes due to lack of sleep. Just when she was about to fall asleep, a loud voice from behind her startled her awake.

"Up all night, I see!"

Sakura whipped her head around so fast, she thought she broke her neck. She was shocked to realize that they've been found, and she began to feel angry for no reason. There was only one simple thing in the world that she wanted right now: sleep.

"But it's no longer necessary," Dosu said. "We're asking your permission to fight Sasuke, so wake his ass up."

Her rage seemed to surface. "I know that someone named Orochimaru is pulling the strings! He's the reason why Sasuke is in this condition! What's his purpose?"

There was an awkward moment of silence, adding to the grim atmosphere as the three Oto nin stood motionless, stoic expressions engraved on their faces. A grin began to form on Zaku's thin face soon afterward.

"Well, since she knows that much, I guess that means we have to kill her, right, Dosu?"

Wait, Zaku," Dosu said, kneeling down. "Tch, this is no good at all. A recently overturned stone and different colored dirt. It's clear that grass wouldn't grow here." He lifted the grass that covered the trap. "Bad thing about booby traps is that they're pointless unless they go unnoticed."

Zaku snapped his fingers as if he had just got an idea. "So that kunai you threw was to prevent the squirrel from setting off your trap. You clever little bitch!"

"Kill her," Dosu commanded before they leapt into action, becoming blurred figures in the blink of one's eye.

All the while with a smirk on her face, Sakura pulled out a kunai and cut a string behind her that was tied to another kunai in the ground, thus releasing a giant log from above.

"Damn! Another trap, except this one's from above!" Dosu shouted, on the verge of being crushed. "No matter."

He and his other two teammates approached the enormous log. Dosu put his hand on it, blasting a hole through it with some unknown force. Sakura watched on in horror as the debris splintered into hundreds of small chips from the blast.

"Konoha Senpū!" (Leaf Whirlwind)

A figure, moving too fast for Sakura to observe with her untrained eyes, suddenly appeared, leveling the three Oto nin instantly with some sort of spinning attack.

Sakura's eyes bulged. _"That technique…"_

Meters in front of her, stood the lean, green figure of Rock Lee, in his taijutsu pose. There was a moment of silence as a gentle, reassuring breeze blew, howling through the leaves.

"Lee, what're you?-"

"Don't you remember what I told you?"

Sakura lowered her head, going through flashbacks of the scarce memories she shared with Lee. Ashamed that she couldn't remember, she decided to stay silent.

"I thought so. Anyway, I told you that I'll protect you until I die," he said, maintaining his pose as to look impressive and stylish in front of his love-interest. "I won't…I can't let anything happen to you."

"Oh well," Dosu said with a heavy sigh. "Zaku, you can have Sasuke. I'll take _them_."

With that, he sprang into action, immediately charging Lee, who was still in his pose. _"That thick-browed son-of-a-bitch probably has some advanced taijutsu. My adrenaline is already pumping!"_

An angered Sakura threw a kunai at the blurred figure that was Dosu. The Oto nin took to the air, swiftly avoiding the weapon. His previous assumption of Lee having advanced taijutsu was solidified as the Konoha genin forced his arm into the ground. To everyone's astonishment, Lee pulled an enormous root out of the earth, several times larger that he was.

"There's a trick to your attacks. I'm not going to just sit here and dodge them…because I've seen them before."

The three Oto nin thought nothing of Lee's confidence. Sakura, however, even in her slight disgust of him (and his eyebrows), didn't doubt Lee for a moment. If it weren't for him and his commitment, she would probably be buried somewhere in the forest or disposed of in some other horrid, unimaginable way. She wiped her wet face, coming to the realization that she was crying.

Lee had now taken on a different stance, glaring at Dosu with unbridled killing intent. _"I'm at a disadvantage. I'll have to use that technique, Gai."_

For Lee, it was more than about winning Sakura's heart; it was protecting her so he _could_ win her heart. If she died right now, it would be because he failed to protect her. With that in mind, he began to wander back…

* * *

_Flashback; one of Konoha's training grounds…_

"OH YEAH! I FINALLY MASTERED IT!" a hyperactive Lee shouted as he cried tears of joy.

"Calm down for a moment, Lee," Gai said.

The bushy-browed Jonin took a glance at his two other students, Neji and Ten Ten. They looked rather beaten up and worn out. Neji attempted to stand by force of will, but the strain on his body was too much, as was for Ten Ten.

"_So, Lee was the only one able to master this technique," _Gai thought.

Gai, yet again, looked over at his two other students, who now managed to stand by leaning on each other. He also observed a giant upright log behind Lee that served as a dummy for the technique; it was split halfway down the middle. When he was finished daydreaming, Gai turned to Lee, who was prancing around like a child.

"Lee! Stop your foolish dancing and listen to what I have to say, it's important. This technique, Renge (Lotus), will be forbidden from now on."

"What? Why?" Lee asked, his eyes suddenly growing large.

"This technique just puts too much strain on the user's muscle fibers. Normally, humans only use about 20% of their muscle's full power. If you were to suddenly use 100%, the muscle fibers would deteriorate, destroying your muscles. Your brain is what's holding this power down, but Renge releases the brain's limiters. In other words, this is a jutsu that allows the body to use power close to its limit. Therefore, you may only use it under a specific condition."

"What is the condition?" Lee asked, stiffening his posture and saluting his sensei.

* * *

_End flashback…_

Lee began unwrapping his bandages before things got out of hand. Sakura looked on in bewilderment, not sure of Lee's motives. She could only hope to trust in him at the moment since Dosu begun to make his move.

"_Gai Sensei, I'm going to use this technique without any regret or mercy…because right now…is the time to protect someone precious!"_

With his jutsu activated, he seemingly warped to Dosu's location, in a crouched stance. He then kicked the Oto nin with all of the force his leg could generate, sending him flying several stories into the air. Much to the spectators' surprise, Lee reappeared behind Dosu while still in midair. As his unwound bandages wrapped themselves around Dosu, they began to spin gradually faster.

"Omote Renge!" (Front Lotus)

Mere seconds later, they slammed into the ground, kicking up a large cloud of dirt and dust. Sakura closed her eyes, bracing herself for the impending dust cloud. When the smoke finally dispersed, Dosu was seen stuck in the ground, head-first.

"Looks like I made it in time," Zaku said, his hands in the ground.

"_He saved him," _Sakura thought.

Zaku, moments before their collision with the ground, had used some sort of jutsu that softened the earth below them as to minimize the damage Dosu received. It was a smart move indeed; he would've sustained severe damage if not for Zaku's last minute save.

Dosu, in a motionless stance, raised his right arm, revealing some sort of metallic contraption. Lee, unable to mobilize because of the strain on his body, stood in the same spot as Dosu charged him and took a swing at him. However, Lee dodged it in one spot, but immediately realized that the purpose of the attack wasn't to hit him.

Lee's eyes widened as vibrations were sent through his body, blurring his vision. His body shaking involuntary, he knelt down to maintain stability.

"You think you're so damn fast, huh? Well, I'll show you the speed of sound!"

Moments later, Lee began to vomit and when it ceased, he felt something trickling down his left cheek. It was blood; his left ear was bleeding.

"_Damn, what the hell did he do?" _Lee thought.

"Surprised, huh? You were right about one thing…you can't just dodge my attacks. Hey, do you know what sound actually is?"

"Vibrations," Sakura instinctively answered softly.

"Exactly. Hearing sound means that your eardrum is catching vibrations in the air. This thin membrane will break by sounds exceeding 150 MHz. Deeper in the ear lies the inner ear membrane. When this is damaged, you lose sense of balance. Which means you won't be able to move for awhile."

Lee, clutching his ear, looked over at Zaku, who stared back with killing intent. That, coupled with the unnerving grin on his face, evoked a sense of fear in the young shinobi that almost caused him to lose the will to fight.

"Your fucking taijutsu won't work against us, kid!"

Dosu's eyes focused on Sakura, who was knelt down in front of her two comrades. She looked back at him, her hair and face saturated due to perspiration. He charged, but this time, Lee wasn't his main priority.

"_No! I knew he would pull something like this!"_

Even with his body weighed down by his previous jutsu and his involuntary movements due to his shattered ear membrane, Lee still managed to get to their location before Dosu could have his way with Sakura, something he wouldn't be able to live with.

"Konoha Senpū!" (Leaf Whirlwind)

Lee approached with a swift, spinning kick, but it was blocked by the even swifter Dosu, who merely brushed it aside with his hand, due to the fact that Lee's movements had been significantly slowed since using Renge (Lotus). Lee saw the incoming punch at his left, however, he could barely move because of the strain that the aforementioned technique put on his body. He had no choice but to block as Dosu continuously swung his arm at him, Lee beginning to feel its effects.

"This arm multiplies sound produced to its maximum level. You could say it's like a speaker. Since the sound doesn't follow the direction of my arm, I use chakra to ensure that it attacks my target!"

With that, as Dosu was still swinging at him, Lee's eyes widened, and he let out a shrill cry. Dosu's sound had damaged what was left of his inner ear. Moaning in agony, he fell to the ground in a small pool of blood.

"Hmph! You'll be lucky if you don't eventually go deaf in that ear…and suffer some minor, long-term mobility problems. Anyway, I think it's about time I finish this!"

"STOP!" Sakura exploded, throwing shuriken and kunai, which were simply blocked with his arm.

She threw more, not realizing that the blurred figure of Zaku had appeared seemingly out of nowhere. He formed a hand seal and dispelled her shuriken with a blast of wind.

"_Air pressure," _she thought. _"That's his ability…that's how he saved Dosu before."_

Suddenly, Sakura felt a force pull her hair back.

"Zaku, kill Sasuke in front of her. Let's teach her a lesson she'll never forget," the girl spoke, her lengthy black ponytail dancing in the breeze.

"Good idea, Kin."

Sakura began shaking, not knowing whether it was voluntary or not. Afraid that the only boy she ever truly liked was about to die in front of her, she began crying. She sniffled as the stream of saline liquid made its way down her nose and onto her slightly chapped lips. Her eyes clenched tight as she lowered her head, but Kin jerked it back up, ensuring that she experienced every second of this moment.

"Make it slow…so she can hear his screams," Kin commanded.

A breeze blew through the forest; the peaceful sound of leaves dancing in the trees brought a sense of tranquility.

It was gentle.

Reassuring.

It reminded her of Lee and his timely arrival. He nearly sacrificed his body to save her, yet look where he was. Lying on the ground, unable to move and bleeding from a damaged ear. She felt useless and pathetic, recurring feelings that she just couldn't seem to run from. But everybody knows that you can't keep running from your problems.

You have to embrace them eventually…

Sakura finally began to realize just that. _"I'm still just getting in the way. Always being protected and not protecting others. I'm sick of things always turning out that way! That's over!"_

Sakura pulled out a kunai, looking it over as if it were made of gold. The sun's flamboyant rays reflected off of it, adding to her growing determination, as it was now her turn to shine.

"You think that's going to work?" Kin asked.

Sakura reached behind her in a swift motion and cut her own hair off, to everyone's astonishment. Time seemed to slow down just for this moment as strands of pink hair became lost in the breeze. She thought of Naruto and Sasuke fighting to protect her. Then she thought of Lee.

"_I want to get stronger, like you guys."_

She clenched her fist as her hitai-ite fell to the ground. One of her strands of hair fell to the ground, next to it, only to be uplifted by another breeze again. She felt empowered when she thought of them. That's what gave her strength. That's what gave her courage.

"Kin, what're you waiting for? Kill her!" Zaku shouted.

She pulled out several senbon that stayed between her fingers when she needed them. At that moment, Sakura formed the five required hand seals for her jutsu as Kin charged her from behind, stabbing her in the back with her senbon. However, it was an illusion, as Kin and Zaku realized when a log appeared out of the signature cloud of smoke.

"_A Kawarimi no Jutsu _(Body Replacement Technique)_," _Zaku thought. _"Does she really believe she can fool me with such a basic technique?"_

Sakura reappeared at his left, ready to throw several kunai. As she threw them, she was stopped by a sudden surge of wind created by Zaku. If not for her Kawarimi, she would've been impaled by several of the kunai that were dissipated by the jutsu.

"_Above!" _he thought.

Sakura was coming down on Zaku, emanating some killing intent when she looked into his eyes. In retaliation, he pulled numerous kunai out of his back pouch and launched them at the midair target. Though she was hit by every one, it didn't seem to stop her for the moment.

Zaku had took to looking around, expecting her to reappear somewhere else, thus lowering his guard.

"_SHIT! She didn't do it this time!"_

She landed on the Oto nin, stabbing him in the right arm and biting him in the other.

* * *

_Meanwhile…_

GROWWWWL!

"Shit! So…damn…hungry."

"Choji, shut up! If you don't stop complaining-" Ino stopped mid-sentence, looking around. "Where's Shikimaru?"

"I don't know," Choji responded, shrugging his shoulders. "Probably somewhere taking a piss. Why don't you let the man have his privacy?"

"Shut up, sheesh. I asked you where he was, not what he was doing. Anyway, I have an idea."

Ino took a deep breath and, oddly enough, began whistling. She couldn't go any louder or else someone would hear her call. That was the last thing she wanted right now was to be found and robbed of a scroll.

"The secret call, good think-"

"CHOJI! Be quiet, I need to he-"

At that moment, the call could be heard from afar. If it was Shikimaru, he did a good job of controlling his diaphragm as to lower his volume. They both smiled at each other before speeding off in the direction of the call.

* * *

_Moments later…_

They spotted Shikimaru concealing himself within a shrub, causing them to believe that they had encountered an enemy. Ino crawled to her comrade, kneeling next to him.

"Shikimaru, what is it?"

He was silent. The atmosphere had gone from one of austerity to grim. She knew something bad had already happened, or was about to. Shikimaru moved aside. Looking through the bush, Ino could see two figures wrestling on the ground, one struggling to relieve him or herself from the one on top.

"Wait…that's-"

"Sakura," Shikimaru finished.

"Wh-what is she doing?"

"What does it look like? She's fighting for Naruto and Sasuke. They're over there. Looks like they're unconscious."

The person on the bottom, now revealed to be a male, threw Sakura off of him. Her face was carried across the ground as she slid on the hard, unforgiving earth.

"Ino?" Shikimaru called.

"Let's go."

The trio, led by Ino, jumped out of the bushes and into the fight, before Zaku could strike Sakura with another wind blast. She looked on in amazement and bewilderment as she coughed up blood. The awkward moment of silence was accompanied by bird calls, the occasional breeze, and heavy breathing.

Sakura smiled, even though the dried blood made it hard. Ino hadn't forgotten that they were still good friends.

* * *

_Meanwhile; Sasuke's mindscape…_

Nothingness.

It was a void.

A void devoid of everything…

Save for two people, who stood face to face.

"_Who is this?"_ Sasuke thought as he looked the other kid in the eyes.

"Mom…and Dad…didn't have to die," he said between sniffles.

"_Those eyes…it's the young me!"_

The young Sasuke put his hand to his face. "In the end, if you don't have the strength to do anything…you can't do anything. They were wiped out, massacred, murdered, slaughtered!" he said in increasing volume. His fingers penetrated his flesh and he began pulling on what appeared to be a mask, revealing pale, white skin and dark eyes with cat-like pupils. "You let them die because you didn't have the strength…IF ONLY YOU HAD THE STRENGTH!"

As he yelled, holding the word, strength, the void which they occupied shook with an earthquake's force. Sasuke looked around him in utter horror as he was taken back, his heart racing and his body paralyzed with fear. He was taken back to that night. The night that he decided he was going to dedicate his life to killing his brother.

"NO! NO! STOOOOOP!"

* * *

_Meanwhile; Naruto's mindscape…_

The oddly unfamiliar stench of the place overwhelmed the blond boy that waded through the dirty, knee-high water. The drips of leaking pipes made an eerie echo that seemed to reach out and grab him by the eardrums. The dingy and rusted pipeline system that ran through the place was very poorly made. Of course, this place did represent the state of his mind.

A state that he no longer wanted in his conscious.

He approached the same enormous cage with the "seal" on it. It emanated pure killing intent. He stopped some distance away because the closer he got, the scarier the cage got. The feeling of fear can't be helped…by anyone.

Two large, narrow, blood red eyes appeared from within the darkness, while the rest of its body was concealed by it.

"**I knew you would come, weakling."**

"Don't call me weak! I did everything I could!"

"**Really? Then why are you here? If you want more of my chakra…FORGET IT!"**

As the fox yelled, it triggered an earthquake that shook the riggidy pipes off of the ceiling, Naruto nearly being crushed by one.

"You don't have to do that. Just…wake me up."

"**So you finally realized you were unconscious. So is the Uchiha boy."**

"What?"

"**It seems that your girl friend is in trouble."**

"Sakura? What's going on? Can you just wake me up?"

"**It also seems that your rage awakened your new kekkei genkai, Hyoton. That was quite a show."**

"Don't change the fucking subject! Listen to me! Wake me up so I can help her!"

"**Do you feel that?"**

"LISTEN TO!-"

Naruto's body stiffened for a moment as he attempted to take a deep breath. To his surprise, he found that he couldn't breathe. His eyes bulged as he went into panic mode. Then, just when he thought he was going to suffocate, he inhaled deeply, falling to his knees.

"Yeah...I feel it," he said, panting. "It's the hunger."

"**Every time you obtain a new kekkei genkai, the hunger for more increases."**

Naruto's facial expression was now a full grimace of pain as he observed his distorted reflection in the murky water.

"**It is time you realize who you are and what you will become,"**the fox said. With that, Naruto looked up at him.**"Look around you, boy."**

Naruto turned around. He had just figured out why the place stunk so badly.

There were dead bodies lying in the water every which way he looked.

As far as his keen eyes could see.

"Holy shit," he said, taking a deep breath. He gagged and spit up a little upon taking in the sight and smell simultaneously. "What…is this?"

"**This…is your future."**

Naruto froze, hoping that this was either his idea of a sick, horrid joke, or a major misconception. He had just got an idea of the intended point, and even though he hoped this wasn't in his future, he breathed his answer. "Death?"

"**No. Killing…to stay alive."**

With that said, Naruto found himself enveloped in darkness, then light…

* * *

_A/N: Weird chapter title, huh? Well, anyway, this will be the last chapter I come out with for some time due to the holidays and my sister's return from Evansville._

_Questions, comments, complaints, criticisms? If any, leave a review._

_With that, I hope you enjoyed the story and most of all, enjoy your holiday!!_


	9. Chuunin Exams, Pt V

_A/N: Greetings, all! I know that I said the last chapter was going to be my last one in awhile, but I've had more free time on my hands these past few days, allowing me to release this chapter. Now, I know for a fact that after this is posted, I probably won't be posting as frequently as I am now. School and weight lifting for football next year are sure to get in the way. Now to answer a review:_

_**tutcat**: Well, that's the whole point. Even though it may seem like that, of course I haven't forgotten Naruto's problem. Not only that, but he's having a hard time trying to contain it. It's important that he go through the rest of his life without always taking a kekkei genkai (even though when he takes more, the more he wants). On a related note, he can't go crazy with his problem, either._

_Now, without further ado...the story!_

_Enjoy!!_

**

* * *

**

**Chapter 9**

**It's Finally Here! The Chuunin Exams, Pt. V: Forest of Death III: Awakened Power**

Team 10 stood courageously and silently in front of the beaten figure that was Sakura, a stream of viscous blood slowly crawling down her already bloody cheek. She was exhausted, and she felt as if she would fall out any minute; her feminine body wasn't yet ready for fights that seemed to drag on infinitely. The enormous ball of fire that hung in the sky slowly made its way across the seemingly endless blue void, lessening their light, as it already had a difficult time piercing the upper canopy of the forest.

Zaku glared at the trio that stood before him, making absolute sure that they each got a taste of the killing intent he was emanating. Choji couldn't help but look away, averting his gaze to his other two teammates. Shikamaru and Ino hadn't made a move in awhile. Nonetheless, they were much smarter than he was so he didn't doubt them. He glanced at Zaku, who was now grinning at him.

"Feel free to leave if you want…fatty," he said.

Choji, as well as his teammates, whose eyes bulged, froze. Choji clenched his shaking fists, made livid by Zaku's comment.

"What the fuck did you just say?"

Shikamaru breathed. "That word is a taboo for Choji. Don't overuse it," he warned.

Zaku put his hands on his hips and leaned forward as he took a deep breath. "I said you can leave if you want to…FAT-ASS!"

"I HAD ENOUGH OF YOU! I'M GONNA KILL YOU, BITCH!"

"Alright, let's do this! Go, Choji!" Ino commanded.

Team 10 had sprung into action, assuming the "Ino-Shika-Cho Formation." Choji, with impressive speed despite his size, was now directly in front of Zaku. The Oto-nin, in response, raised his arms for his jutsu. Choji, however, had already formed the two handseals for his signature jutsu.

"Baika no Jutsu!" (Multi-Size Technique)

Choji's physical structure was altered, as he had significantly increased his body mass to become a literal human ball. Zaku, impressed and disgusted, had little time to react as Choji made a beeline for the Oto-nin.

"Nikudan Sensha!" (Human Bullet Tank)

"What is this? Ha, just a rolling fat-ass!"

Zaku blasted the now mobile human ball that was Choji with a blast of wind. However, the technique was futile as it didn't slow him even a hair. Choji bounced into the air above Zaku.

He gritted his teeth as he braced himself for impact. _"The spinning air pressure around him renders my techniques useless. That also counts my sound waves. And if I try to grab him, I'll be crushed for sure."_

Dosu mobilized, seeing his comrade in danger. As he sped for Zaku's location, Shikamaru formed the one handseal for his signature jutsu.

"Oh no you don't! Kagemane no Jutsu!" (Shadow Imitation Technique)

Strangely enough, the jutsu somehow extended Shikamaru's shadow. Once connected with Dosu's, the Oto-nin found himself immobilized.

Zaku could only be seen as a blur when Choji made touchdown, nearly crushing the genin. All the while, Dosu was forced to submit to foolish stances due to Shikamaru's jutsu.

"Dosu! What are you doing?" Kin shouted at him.

"Shikamaru, I'm trusting you to take care of my body," Ino said, forming a seal for her signature jutsu that required her to connect her thumbs, index, and middle fingers of both hands, forming a misshapen circle. "Shintenshin no Jutsu." (Mind Body Switch Technique)

Kin's eyes bulged moments after she stopped shaking, signifying that the transfer was a success. Ino found her weapon pouch and whipped out a kunai, her face the epitome of austerity. "Alright, it's over! If you guys make any moves that I deem threatening, I'll kill this girl!"

Everyone's attention was now on her, including Dosu and Zaku's, who were now giving her maniacal smiles while emanating killing intent.

"Oh man," Ino said under her breath, knowing what they're next moves were.

Zaku, without hesitation, blasted her with air pressure, sending her flying at high speed into a nearby tree.

"Damn. Hang in there, Ino!" Shikamaru shouted as a thin line of blood oozed out of the corner of her mouth.

"_They're twisted…hurting their own teammate," _Ino thought.

At that moment, Dosu spotted movement at his feet, which was Shikamaru's retracting shadow. Shikamaru looked at him and then back at Ino, who was in his arms.

"So this jutsu's limit is five minutes. And that girl, her jutsu allows her to transfer her conscious into another person, but injuries sustained by the host will injure her too, bringing me to the conclusion that killing Kin will also kill her."

"Tch, this is pathetic. Oto-nin fighting mere rookies?" a voice said from above.

Sure enough, it was Neji, accompanied by his teammate, Ten Ten. Neji's clear, pupil less eyes scanned the area and everyone in it as he crossed his arms, the right one bandaged up to the elbow. His long, jet black ponytail swayed in the wind as Dosu frantically looked around him as if searching for someone.

"Are there any more?" he asked sarcastically.

"No, but you're going to pay for what you did to Lee," Neji said in a nonchalant manner.

"Why don't you come down here then? You'll just end up like the rest of them: at our mercy!"

For a moment, there was silence, leading them to believe that Neji was contemplating his decision. His eyes bulged for a second, then he took on a grin.

"Looks like that won't be necessary."

Sakura heard movement behind her and turned to see the waking figure of Sasuke. However, it was a completely different Sasuke not just because of the killing intent he was releasing, but because his body was covered in eccentric black markings that closely resembled flames.

"_The…curse seal," _Dosu thought, being affected by his killing intent.

"Naruto!" Sakura blurted in excitement, hoping that he didn't wake up like Sasuke.

The blond slowly rose to his feet, positioning himself on the other side of Sakura. She observed his demeanor as he came to and didn't like what she was seeing. Neither did anyone else for that manner. Again, an inevitable silence instantaneously washed over the area like a tidal wave, ostensibly carrying all life and energy with it.

"Sakura," they both said simultaneously, "who did this to you?"

The two genin of Team 7 stood in, what appeared to be a cloud of smoke, produced partially from Sasuke's newly awakened power and partially from the frigid air that enveloped Naruto. Sakura turned around, wondering why it suddenly got cold. Naruto's fists were shaking and, as she suspected, were radiating intense cold.

"_His fists…they're frozen," _Sakura thought, close enough to see the frost that had developed.

She observed the "curse mark" and his eyes just as he had looked down at her, they're eyes locking. From what she could see, he now had the two-tomoe Sharingan activated. She also noticed that the curse markings had only spread to only the left side of his body.

The pink-haired girl took a deep breath, careful not to make any sudden movements. Her breathing was erratic, probably because she was scared out of her wits at the moment. She finally opened her mouth, ready to speak.

She could've sworn that she once had a nightmare like this, omitting Naruto and the curse markings.

However, she had to embrace her fears.

"Sasuke…you-"

"I know what you're thinking. You don't have to worry. I feel great," Sasuke said, speaking slowly and deeply. "After all these years, I finally understand, at this moment, what I must do. This is just the first step on my path to power."

It took awhile for everyone to take in the severity of the situation, all except Dosu. _"I see, the mark on his neck that girl was talking about was the curse seal. But…he got up from it…"_

"Now, let's get down to business, you fucking Oto bastards," Sasuke said, shaking with anger.

"Shit! Ino, come back to your body!" Shikamaru blurted.

Ino formed a handseal and returned to her body. After that, Sasuke's anger substantially increased, as so did the purplish-black aura that surrounded him. With that, the area suddenly got extremely cold. The subzero temperatures coupled with the evil chakra and killing intent that blanketed the area, would've made even jonin run for their lives.

Neji observed Naruto. _"Incredible. It must be Naruto judging by the frozen ground and trees around him."_

"I've had enough of this! Let's go, Dosu!" Zaku shouted, bringing his arms in front of him.

Dosu's eyes nearly jumped out of their sockets. "ZAKU! DON'T!"

At that moment, Zaku fired a blast of air at the duo that made his other jutsu seem like gentle breezes. The jutsu was so powerful, in fact, that it blew the ground apart and uprooted enormous trees.

Moments later, when the dirt and dust finally dispersed, there was nothing left in the area except a blown-out path in the earth leading to a giant wall of ice that managed to shield Team 7 from the blast.

"_What the hell? Ice?" _Zaku thought.

"_Is that the curse seal, or is it the blond kid?" _Dosu thought.

_"Is Naruto using ninjutsu or a kekkei genkai?" _Neji contemplated, knowing that such kekkei genkai didn't exist in Konoha.

"Big mistake," a deep voice said from behind Zaku.

Just when Zaku was about to turn around to acknowledge the voice, he was hit with a fist to the back of his head. Sasuke then pointed in Dosu's direction.

"Naruto…you take him."

With a grin, Naruto suddenly vanished, reappearing behind Dosu, however, the Oto-nin knew where he was and took a swing at him with his speaker arm, inadvertently spinning in a semi-circle.

"_Damn, he's using pure speed!"_

"Dosu! Behind you!" Kin shouted.

Dosu took her word and swung with his "speaker" arm again, to no avail. He was gone again.

"_Fuck! Now he's toying with me!"_

* * *

While Zaku was on the ground, Sasuke had formed the six handseals for his jutsu, inhaling deeply before unleashing it on his unsuspecting opponent. "Katon: Hōsenka no Jutsu!" (Fire Release: Phoenix Immortal Fire Technique)

The Uchiha spewed out of his mouth numerous balls of fire, all aimed at Zaku, who seemed ready for the attack as he blasted them with air, extinguishing the flames. However, he didn't manage to get rid of the shurikens that were concealed by the fireballs.

* * *

Dosu had a hard time keeping up with Naruto's superior speed. It was a sight to see, and he managed to impress every spectator. To Team 10 and Sakura, it was hilarious watching Dosu swing at nothing but air, bringing Sakura to the conclusion that Naruto had retained much of his personality, unlike Sasuke.

"_Time to get this over with," _Naruto thought.

* * *

The curse seal Uchiha swiftly moved below and then behind the slower Zaku, who turned but found himself on the ground, his arms being pulled behind his back. He let out a grunt as Sasuke pulled his arms, his foot in his back.

"I could fucking kill you right now," he said, a maniacal smile planted on his face.

Zaku felt his foot press harder onto his back as Sasuke pulled his arms. The Oto-nin felt his shoulder balls leave their respective sockets as a loud snap echoed through the forest along with the deafening screams produced by the air-wielding genin. Sasuke then kicked him to the ground as he groaned his agony.

* * *

Dosu, in a pinch, swung at the figure with his speaker arm that he thought was the blond. Suddenly, and much to everyone's astonishment, a spire made of ice crashed through the frozen soil below it and penetrated his metallic arm. Naruto appeared soon afterwards after leaping out of a nearby tree. Dosu glared at Naruto with as much killing intent as he could muster.

"_He's unaffected? What is he?"_

"I'm not afraid of you. You, on the other hand, should be afraid of me," Naruto said. "How do you like my Ko Shimobashira no Jutsu?" (Great Ice Needle Technique)

"_Hmm, he's frozen water underground and forced it upward into a spire, timing it so that his arm was above the pocket of water underground. So all that useless dodging was meant to put him into position," _Neji thought.

Dosu looked at his appendage in fear and confusion as it not only froze his entire arm outside…

"You feel that? As we speak, the ice is freezing your blood, stopping blood flow to that particular area. It will continue to freeze your arm so as long as I'm standing here, since it's infused with my chakra."

With that, Dosu used his free arm to throw a kunai at Naruto. The blond boy didn't dodge it, deflect it, or even block it; he froze it in midair. The frozen and now harmless projectile hit him softly in the chest before falling to the ground.

Naruto looked up after following the weapon to the ground. "My turn."

* * *

Sasuke pulled out a kunai, still smiling maniacally as he did so. Sakura looked at Sasuke as he readied himself to dispatch his opponent. She found herself crying again, her face covered in tears and blood.

"_Th-this isn't Sasuke."_

He brought the kunai to his neck when suddenly, he was grabbed from behind. Sakura had wrapped her arms tightly around him, crying and soaking the back of his shirt.

"This…isn't you," she said soothingly. "Please, Sasuke, stop now."

After a few seconds, the curse marks slowly receded back into their source on his neck. Sasuke slumped, but Sakura held fast, gently helping him to sit down.

"_Is that the Uchiha Clan's strength?" _Neji thought.

* * *

With an outstretched hand, Naruto gathered moisture particles from the air and infused it with his chakra. The resulting mass of ice took the form of a disc. Dosu went into a panic and tried to now rip his frozen arm from the column of ice.

"It's useless. Now, are you ready to witness my next technique?"

Naruto hopped back, putting some throwing distance between him and his victim.

He reared his arm back. "Hyōenban no Jutsu!" (Ice Disc Technique)

Naruto threw the transparent disc, aiming for the elbow joint. The frigid disc sliced through the flesh, then the muscle and nerves, and then the bone, freezing everything it came into contact with, before it flew out of sight. Dosu let out a spine-tingling cry--louder than Zaku's in fact--as he fell to the ground.

"That'll teach you to hurt Sakura."

* * *

_10 hours ago; day one; the tower…_

"Anko, there is something I must report!" a shinobi barged in, holding up a tape.

"This had better be good. I'm in an important meeting with the ANBU."

"A video?" one of the ANBU asked as he inserted the tape.

"Yeah, take a look at their time," he said, pointing to "16:09" in the upper right corner of the television. "The tape is recording this an hour and 37 minutes into the test!"

Anko suddenly went from serious to surprised as her eyes widened. "How?"

"I don't know but…97 minutes? They shattered the old four hour record. Those kids from Suna…they're-"

"Haven't you noticed?" Anko asked. "Take a look at his body. Not a scratch."

"Ah, I see."

"It must have something to do with his abilities," one of the ANBU suspected.

"Yeah," the other ANBU spoke, "I don't like the look in his eyes though…"

* * *

_Currently…_

A myriad of fish swam in a crystal clear lake, its divine, natural beauty defined by the warm yellow rays that pierced the surface and shone on the bottom. The serenity was interrupted by a splash, followed by several other splashes that belonged to Naruto and his clones. The frightened fish jumped out of the water while Sasuke threw kunai at them, killing the creatures instantly. The blond didn't enjoy it one bit and sat under a tree afterwards.

A fire had been made some time later after the arduous task of finding firewood, despite the fact that they're were near a forest. Nothing was said between the trio for awhile, the only source of sound being the crackling of the fire they sat around.

Sasuke sighed. "Damn, it's the fourth day of the test. The second test started around 2:30 PM, meaning we have a little more than 24 hours left."

"And there may not be any more heaven scrolls," Sakura said.

"What do you mean, Sakura?" Sasuke asked.

Naruto stopped tearing into his fish.

"The fact that it's the fourth day means that over 80 percent of the test is over. Plus there are 78 entrants, 26 teams, and 13 of each scroll, so the highest number of teams that can pass is 13."

Naruto twitched.

It was back…

The hunger.

Sakura continued. "That means that the number of teams that can pass from that point, went down by one."

"You're right. This means that the next enemy will be our last chance for a scroll," Sasuke said.

Naruto felt pain wrack his body as he stood up.

"Naruto, are you okay?" Sakura asked.

"Yeah, I just…need to walk it out," he said as he disappeared into the forest.

As Naruto walked on, his vision began to blur and his balance was off. He heard his stomach growl. Was it because he was hungry, or was it something else? Moments later, he came to a small clearing and slumped down on a root.

_The hunger…_

_The pain…_

_What is this?…_

_What am I?…_

_I just know one thing…_

_I need more…_

As Naruto looked around, observing his surroundings, he spotted an object resting by a tree. He went over to it and picked it up.

"An…Earth Scroll?"

Without warning, he was caught, grabbed by his neck and stabbed in the back with a kunai. He let out a yelp of pain as he fell to his knees. The same man they had fought before with the breathing device over his mouth was the culprit of the basic trap. Naruto was ashamed of himself…and in an extremely bad mood.

"Ha! I can't believe you fell for my trap, dumb-ass! You think a scroll would just be left out in the open?"

Suddenly, it got cold…

* * *

_Meanwhile; with Sasuke and Sakura…_

"Sakura, did you hear that?"

"Yeah, it was a scream," she replied.

"Let's go! It might be Naruto!"

Sasuke and Sakura ran as fast as they could--nearly tripping over each other--to their comrade's location. It took them awhile to get there even though they were both running as fast as they thought they could. Eventually, they made it to the clearing Naruto had been in. As they began their frantic search, they heard a noise in the shrubs, and they both pulled out kunai in response.

Naruto appeared, in his hands, a scroll.

"Stop!" Sasuke shouted. "Where's Naruto?"

"I am Naruto, stupid-ass," he said coolly.

Sasuke observed Naruto. His holster was on his right leg. Still, Sasuke remained suspicious. Then, he got a good idea.

"Where was our first mission?"

Naruto thought back. He couldn't. Whenever he thought back to the incident that caused what happened to him, his spine would tingle and he would feel that familiar fiery sensation in his body. He tried to avoid those parts of his memories best he could.

"Nami no Kuni," Naruto responded.

"That's him," Sasuke said with a sigh of relief. "So, where'd you get the scroll?"

"That guy with the mouthpiece that we fought earlier had set his scroll out, and I ignorantly fell for it."

"Well, where is he?"

"In the bushes behind me."

* * *

_Half an hour later; the tower…_

"This is it, right?" Sasuke asked, approaching one of the entrances.

"Yeah," Sakura answered, concern written all over her face.

Naruto just tried best he could to suppress his pain…and hunger. He clutched his sides as his gut pulsated with an empty, unsatisfactory feeling that spread from his stomach to his heart. His heart to his brain.

It was an addiction.

He needed more.

He thought for a second, his mind blank at first. Then, he finally understood. He nearly punched himself for not thinking about it earlier. One of his comrades has a kekkei genkai! That's why he always felt the peculiar hunger. However, there was a downside. He had to do it without killing the Uchiha, which would raise suspicion. He didn't want to kill him anyway. Naruto knew just what he would do, but how and when were his concerns.

"Naruto, you coming?" Sasuke asked, already inside.

Lost in his thoughts, he almost forgot where they were and what they were doing. He glared Sasuke, craving for a kekkei genkai…

His kekkei genkai.

Naruto slapped on a false grin. "Yeah."

Team 10 entered the tower, crossing the threshold of maturity as they stepped foot onto the tiled floor, their every step ringing in their ears.

* * *

_Meanwhile; another part of the tower…_

Kabuto approached the tall figure leaning against the wall in a secluded hall of the tower. His teammates followed closely behind, suspicious of the pale man's motives. How Kabuto came to work for a man even they didn't know remained a mystery.

The bespectacled shinobi repositioned his glasses on his eyes as he pulled out a single card and held it up to the jonin that stood before him.

"Here's the card you requested, Orochimaru. I've written down all of the Uchiha's data. He's quite the shinobi. You've done well this time."

"Are you going to sit here and flatter me, or are you going to give me the card?"

Kabuto handed him the card, and he vanished in a cloud of smoke just seconds later.

* * *

_With Team 7…_

"Congratulations, Team 7, you guys have passed the second test!" Iruka said.

Guided by a plaque on the far wall, the entering genin were forced to open their scrolls, releasing a chuunin. According to Iruka, they just so happened to have got him. He observed Naruto for quite some time, noticing that he didn't look the same.

"_Your eyes…are full of seriousness. Naruto…what happened to you? You should be hopping around right now. You were always bad at containing your excitement."_

"So, Iruka," Sakura said, snapping him back to reality, "any usual motivational words you want to say?"

"I want you all to be careful and have each other's backs. Be smart and prepared. Especially you, old friend," he said, now looking at Naruto. "I know you better, so I care about you just a little bit more. Don't do anything stupid."

At those last words, Iruka laughed, knowing full well that he wasn't going to do anything stupid.

Or, he hoped he didn't...

"Thanks," Naruto said, sweating profusely, although not visible to anyone else.

"_Naruto…you don't seem to care. You've changed…for the worse; your eyes are telling me that."_

* * *

_Meanwhile; another part of the tower…_

Beep!

The surveillance monitor activated, a man on the screen.

"Anko, we've confirmed that 21 have passed the second test. We will begin preparations for the preliminaries before the third test."

As the television screen went blank, Anko looked over to the Hokage, who took a puff of his pipe. She was sweating and breathing heavily, but she managed to stand, after Sarutobi and some other chuunin relaxed her curse mark.

"Alright, let's continue the exam as planned, however, we will keep close watch on Orochimaru's movements," Sarutobi said.

"Yes," Anko said obediently.

* * *

_A/N: I hoped you enjoyed that chapter as much as I did. I know I'm still following closely to Chuunin Exams. However, my divergence point will definitely come later on. Now..._

_Presenting the newly created**...Jutsu Index**! Featuring Naruto's two newest justu in his ever-growing repertoire of kekkei genkai!_

**Ko Shimobashira no Jutsu (Great Ice Needle Technique)**: A technique that utilizes the Hyoton kekkei genkai. It can't be used without water either near you or underneath you. The user first locates water underground and forces it upward while freezing it with their chakra. As it comes up, the user can mold it into anything they can imagine, as long as there is enough water and chakra to compensate for it. However, it's more effective when molded into a spike, as it has more piercing power. When the spike comes into contact with something, it completely freezes it, that is, from the inside out, and it will continue to freeze until the user stops it or is rendered unconcious. This technique has several other variations.

Class: Offensive  
Type: Ice  
Rank: B

**Hyōenban no Jutsu (Ice Disc Technique)**: A technique that utilizes the Hyoton kekkei genkai. The user gathers moisture particles in the air while freezing them with chakra. The process takes some time depending on the diameter of the disc, rendering the user vulnerable for about a minute. However, the user can still move around freely. After the disc has reached proper size, the user can then throw it. When it is thrown, it freezes the air around it as well as anything it slices through. The edges of the disc are so sharp that it can slice through steel, also due in part that it's infused with chakra. The disc can also be used for protection by using it as a shield. Of course, the amount of moisture and chakra that go into it have to be greatly increased to raise its defensive capabilities as well as its size for complete shielding. This technique also has several other variants.

Class: Offensive, Defensive  
Type: Ice  
Rank: C

_Questions, comments, complaints, criticisms? If any, leave a review! Thanks for reading!_


	10. Chuunin Exam Prelims, Pt I

_A/N: Finally! Took me long enough, didn't it. While it was a lot of work trying to find time to use my computer, it wasn't much work releasing this chapter. Probably because the fights followed canon. Good news though, is that in the next chapter, most of the fights won't follow canon. I'm also planning to completely diverge the battles for the finals, which is where Naruto will either leech the Byakugan or Sharingan. In addition, I'll have a poll up asking for your opinion. Now, to answer some reviews:_

_**Malix2**: Can Naruto take a kekkei genkai without killing the person? Well, the answer would have to be no. Reasons for this have yet to be explained. You also brought up a good question. Naruto can sense kekkei genkai, in general, in his immediate vicinity, meaning he has to be in close proximity of that person to sense it. Your last question is really good. Yes, that's correct. He would no longer be able to sense them since they wouldn't have a kekkei genkai (that is, if they were to live)._

_**Twilight-The Moon Spirit**: Well, he doesn't necessarily eat them, he merely absorbs their kekkei genkai, killing them in the process. But yes, he does have to do it to survive, or he would starve himself. The process of taking a kekkei genkai soothes the degenerative effects of Hittakuru._

_Now, onward to the story!_

_Enjoy!!_

**

* * *

**

**Chapter 10**

**Stay Sharp! Chuunin Exam Preliminaries, Pt. I**

* * *

_A few hours later; the tower arena…_

It was burning up.

Better yet, it was stifling.

The 21 genin that had passed the second test, stood motionless in seven straight lines with three people in each line. The close proximity of the genin is what probably made the arena so stuffy. It was unbearable to the point of suffocation.

Especially for one Uzumaki Naruto.

He not only thought he was going to catch fire in the intense heat, he also thought he was going to die if he didn't obtain a kekkei genkai. However, he tried against his body's will, to suppress his hunger. His attention wasn't on the exams anymore, and truthfully, he didn't give a damn, at the moment, whether he passed or not. The blond now refrained from looking around. Though he didn't show it, this was the most exciting moment of his life. He looked over at Neji on his right and then Sasuke on his left.

Focusing his attention on the floor and without looking up, he smirked, almost uttering a chuckle as his enthusiasm scratched the surfaced. He stood attempting to assume a blank expression, waiting for someone to speak, but he just couldn't stop himself from smiling. Perhaps it was the heat…

Or his hunger.

Speaking of which, had reemerged on its own ever since the completion of the first exam. Even though he hadn't put much thought into it, he finally understood why the hunger came and went as it did. He knew that there was a kekkei genkai user on his team, Uchiha Sasuke. Though he didn't know, as of yet, the range of Hittakuru's effectiveness, whenever he left sight of Sasuke, the hunger couldn't be felt. This led him to the conclusion that he could sense another kekkei genkai that was within his immediate vicinity. How did he know when there was one around? The obvious physical ailments.

Pain.

Hunger.

The two sensations he wished he could rid his body of, yet, in a sense, they were mildly addicting, adding that little boost of adrenaline or eagerness when needed. Sometimes, it made him livid. At times, he awaited its onset in fear, comparable to waiting for a tornado to ravage your home instead of running from it. Right now, his hunger and pain were giving him a much-needed boost of excitement for the preliminaries. He was beginning to get bored with the exams and almost didn't want to proceed at one point.

Until something rekindled his interest.

What was the factor that changed his mind so promptly?

It was the thought that by the end of today, he will have either Neji's coveted Byakugan or Sasuke's equally sought-after Sharingan.

The thought of which, nearly caused him to laugh aloud.

The exam had suddenly become exciting.

After what seemed like an eternity of private discussion by the jonin and instructors, the older group of shinobi turned to the mass of genin, the handseal statue before them foreshadowing the events that would soon unfold in the arena.

Anko finally stepped forward, the first move anyone made since they entered. "First of all, congratulations to all genin that have passed the second test!"

Even with the congratulatory statement, many of the genin felt uncomfortable and began looking around. Dosu and Zaku directed their hate-filled looks at Sasuke and Naruto, who had caused them hell in The Forest of Death.

Meanwhile, Kabuto raised his head, closely observing one of the jonin that had been staring at him for awhile now. His narrow eyes and thin smile were oddly familiar, however, he attempted to keep his focus on the upcoming challenges.

"_I see, only 7 of the 27 teams have passed," _Sakura thought after she looked around at the many faces of the group of genin.

The Hokage took a puff out of his pipe. _"For this many to pass, most of them being comprised of rookies. It's amazing," _he thought.

"Now, the Hokage will explain the third test! Hokage?"

The old man gingerly stepped forward. "Before I explain the third test, there is something I'd like you all to know. So first, I'll start with a question: why are we all here? Why are there shinobi from the various elemental countries in this room right now? Simple. We are promoting friendship among the countries…so that we may better understand each other. Yes, it is a test to see who gets promoted to chuunin, but it is also something else. It is a test to see which shinobi can risk their life to protect their country's reputation…as the strongest," the Hokage said, quickly taking a puff out of his pipe. He seemed to relish the moment.

"My apologies, Hokage, but as referee, will you allow me to explain," one of the jonin said, kneeling before him.

"If you insist," he responded as he took a step back.

The pale man coughed. "Hello, everyone, I'm Hayate. This third test is actually a preliminary to the main event where you all will be participating in individual battles," the sickly man said as the genin exchanged looks of shock and perplexity. "The reason being? Simply because there are too many of you. You all must understand that we aren't doing this for our amusement. According to the rules, we must have a preliminary round in order to reduce the numbers. Now, before we start, is there anyone that wants to drop out? If you don't want to go on, or if you think you won't be able to handle it, raise your hand now."

Then, something happened that no other genin thought would happen. The room's attention was now on one person. He smiled as he raised his hand.

"Heh, I think I'm going to quit," Kabuto said.

The room was precipitously filled with an ominous silence that soothed Naruto, the sounds echoing throughout the room irritating his sensitive migraine.

There was a mysterious shinobi standing behind Kabuto, shrouded in black garbs wearing a cloth mask that concealed half of his face, and shades. He stepped forward to Kabuto's ear.

"Don't make any moves you will regret. I hope you haven't forgotten Orochimaru's orders," he whispered.

"I'll let you guys take care of it," Kabuto said, his back to him. "Besides, this is your chance to show your strength."

With that, Kabuto turned on heel and began to exit the arena, the pattering of his feet being the only sounds produced at the time.

Hayate coughed. "Are there any more?"

Sasuke flinched in pain as he immediately clutched the area on his neck where the curse mark was located.

"_Shit! The waves of pain are becoming more frequent! What's going on?"_

Sakura turned to him, wrapping her arm around him in an attempt to relax his trembling. "Sasuke, you're in no sort of condition to fight."

"Shut up," Sasuke said almost inaudibly.

"So you've been hiding the pain all along. Your health is in danger. I have to tell one of the sensei about that mark."

"Shut the hell up," he said, this time, able to be heard.

She began to say something else but Sasuke grabbed her wrist with a grip that she thought would soon cut off her circulation. She suddenly stopped.

"Sasuke, please," she cried.

"Shut up about this damn mark. This has nothing to do with you…so stay out of my damn business," he said, glaring at her through narrow eyes.

Naruto looked over at the feuding two nonchalantly. "What's with you guys?" he asked, with every genins' attention now on him. "Why are you two arguing when the preliminaries are close to starting? Sakura, we all know how you feel about Sasuke, but why don't you give him some breathing room. I hate to say this, but…he might not feel the same about you."

Sakura looked on at her blond teammate as if she had seen an apparition. Naruto obviously wasn't himself.

"_That…that can't be true. Sa-Sasuke…"_

"And you, Sasuke. You don't have to walk around with an attitude all the time," Naruto continued, now angered. "That's your fucking problem, you think you're so damn special!"

Sasuke turned to Naruto and approached him, stopping inches from his face. "You damn idiot, what do you know? You don't know anything about me so don't act like you do!"

Naruto's body began shaking. "If you don't want to fight, then I'd suggest getting out of my face!"

"Maybe we'll get paired up for the preliminaries," Sasuke said, activating his Sharingan, possibly as a means of intimidation.

"Don't get excited," Naruto countered as he balled a frozen fist.

"As I've thought," Sarutobi said.

"What do you propose?" Ibiki asked. "That he be removed from the exam?"

"That would be the wisest decision; in fact, it was one of my first," the Hokage responded, "but-"

"It's amazing the Uchiha boy is even still standing," Anko said, her head hung low. "His will is quite strong. He should be dead right now."

"Why don't we just let Sasuke continue, and if at any point something odd should happen, we'll pull him out," Sarutbobi said

Hayate, once again, coughed. Some thought it seemed like his sickness, or whatever he had, would drag on eternally. "We will now begin the preliminaries. Since the departure of Kabuto, we now have 20 participants, which means there will have to be 10 battles. Winners will, obviously, advance to the last test. About the rules…there are none. The fight continues until one dies, is KOed, or surrenders. Now, look over there."

Hayate signaled in the direction behind the genin. They were undoubtedly confused even though the instructions were brief and straightforward.

The wall high above them appeared to slide up, revealing a monitor underneath. Given the fact that it will be displaying only two names, it was a rather large screen.

Naruto suddenly clutched his side, trying not to bring any attention to himself. He stared up at the monitor, waiting impatiently for the test to begin.

"Let's reveal the names of the first two fighters."

**Tsurugi Misumi**

**Vs.**

**Sabaku no Kankuro**

"_So I'm first," _Kankuro thought with a grin on his face.

Both fighters stepped to the center of the arena while everyone else was told to make their way to the balcony. It provided a decent view of the fight, as well as protection from any wide range jutsu.

"I'll end this quickly," Misumi said, his face hidden under a cloth, much like his teammate, Yoroi.

Kankuro unwrapped the bandaged object from his back. "Then, I'll also end this quickly."

Misumi swiftly leapt into the air, a blurred figure only able to be seen. "I won't even give you the chance to strike!"

Kankuro successfully blocked the simple attack, however, the bespectacled genin somehow elongated his arm and wrapped the elasticized appendage around Kankuro's arm, legs, and neck, completely restraining him.

"My molecular structure has been tampered with, enabling me to stretch my limbs and fit into the smallest of spaces. So I can keep squeezing you until I break your bones. Sound good?"

"Sounds…perfect," Kankuro said with a smile.

A loud snap eerily echoed throughout the arena, stunning every living body that was watching. Kankuro's body immediately went flaccid as Misumi loosened his grip from around his broken neck.

"_His neck is broken," _Neji thought.

Suddenly, the figure that was Kankuro sprung to life, turning his head 180 degrees. Misumi jumped at the sight of Kankuro's partially disfigured face, revealing the true, monster-like form underneath.

"Ha-ha! My turn you fucking idiot!"

From underneath the black rags, four wooden arms appeared that restrained Misumi's arms.

"_A puppet!" _Misumi thought. _"The real one is…"_

"_Hiding in the bandages," _Sasuke thought.

On cue, the real figure of Kankuro unwound the bandages from his body as he rose to his feet, chakra strings leading from his fingers to the puppet catching the attention of every spectator.

"_He's a puppeteer!"_ Misumi thought, his eyes widened.

"Now I'm going to break every bone in your fucking body," Kankuro said, pressing his hand into a fist. "save for your neck."

As the broken body of Misumi fell to the floor, Hayate coughed some more. "The battle cannot be continued. The winner is Kankuro! Now, for the second match!"

**Haruno Sakura**

**Vs.**

**Yamanaka Ino**

Both Sakura and Ino looked up the monitor with expressions of shock. One, they had no clue they would be going this soon, and two, against each other.

They both stepped to center-arena, glaring at each other with gratuitous hatred. Sakura reached behind her hair and pulled her hitai-ite off.

"I'm not going to take it easy just because you protected me as a child," Sakura said, putting her hitai-ite on her forehead.

"Don't worry about me. You should be worried about you right now," Ino countered, following suit.

They immediately dashed to each other, waiting to get within striking distance as Sakura formed a handseal.

"_Hmph! Just a Bunshin no Jutsu!" _Ino thought.

"_She thinks I'm using a bunshin, but I'm actually channeling my chakra to my feet, allowing me to move much faster than her."_

Sakura, her movements too swift, leapt to her rival and punched her, adding extra force as she leaned into it.

"Time to get serious, Ino!"

"Whatever you say!" Ino said as she rose to her feet.

They both, once again, dashed at each other, grabbing the other's fist as they jabbed. Quickly realizing they were at a stalemate, they leapt back to put distance between them as they pulled a shuriken out. They threw their weapons, the clang from the midair clash causing Naruto to jump. They once again closed in, striking each other in the face as their blood could be seen splattering on the floor nearby. They were both sent hurling in opposite directions from the force of the blows.

"_Wow, it's been over 10 minutes," _Hayate thought.

"_There's no way she could be even with me!" _Ino thought.

With her kunai in hand, Ino reached behind her head and cut her ponytail off. Everyone looked on in disbelief as she clenched the bundle of hair in her hand.

"It's time to end this!" Ino shouted, forming a seal for her signature jutsu that required her to connect her thumbs, index, and middle fingers of both hands, forming a misshapen circle.

"I knew it! She going to use Shintenshin no Jutsu!" Shikamaru blurted.

"Hmph! That's useless, Ino. You should know that," Sakura said.

"You'll see."

"But I'm willing to bet I can point out some of its weaknesses. One, the projected energy flies at your target moves at a slug's pace. Two, if it misses the intended target, it will take a few minutes to return to your body. During that time, your body will be nothing more than an inanimate doll, meaning Hayate here would probably have to stop our fight."

"_That's right. If Sakura stays in motion, there's nothing to worry about," _Kakashi thought.

A bead of sweat slowly crept down the side of Asuma's face. _"That technique was meant for spying, not battling. Using it now is asking to lose," _he thought.

"Do you not understand that if you miss, it's over?"

With that, Sakura was instantly in motion. Ino, however, was still intent on using her jutsu even though she had a heightened chance of missing.

"Shintenshin no Jutsu!" (Mind Body Switch Technique)

At that, Sakura froze while Ino slumped on her legs, her head nearly hung to the floor. Silence reverberated throughout the arena, Hayate's constant coughing the only audible sound.

"Which one?" Shikamaru said.

Sakura looked up. "Too bad, Ino."

"Damn, it didn't work," Choji said.

Sakura's body suddenly stiffened as she looked down at her feet, an expression of shock engraved on her face.

"You fell for it. Me using my jutsu was just an act, to get you to fall into this clever trap of mine," she said, forming the seal for her jutsu again. "I won't miss this time."

Ino slumped down as a formidable smile formed on Sakura's face. "Too bad, Sakura."

Inside of Sakura, Ino walked over to Hayate, initiating her plan. "I, Haruno Sakura am-"

"Sakura!"

Sakura, as well as everybody else in the arena, turned to Naruto, who had finally spoken out. But he seemed different. His eyelids hung low and, aside from his pale skin complexion, he had bags under his eyes. With a slight grimace of pain, he proceeded to speak. "Forget about what I said earlier. Sasuke does feel the same way. He just won't admit to it."

"Naruto, what're you?-" Sasuke asked, but was interrupted.

"I'm helping her out. What I mean to say Sakura, is…if you lose here, what have you proven? If you lose to her, Sasuke is all hers."

Sakura clutched her head, a grimace of pain emblazoned on her bruised and sweaty face. Her legs began to convulse, as she fell to her knees.

"_Impossible! This can't be happening! She's…fighting…back!"_

Sakura formed another handseal as she clenched her eyes shut, her face now visibly saturated with sweat. "Kai!" (Release)

"_Impossible! She defeated Ino's jutsu!" _Shikamaru thought.

"_They're both low on chakra," _Neji thought.

Both kunoichi dashed at each other, hopefully for the last time. As they reared their fists back, everyone observed with gaping mouths. They brought their fists forward, colliding with the back of each others head. They spit up blood as their hitai-ite fell to the floor with an unusually loud clang.

Hayate observed both figures as they lay motionless on the floor. "Both fighters are unable to continue! This is a double KO! The second match has no winner! Now, proceed with the third match!"

**Sabaku no Temari**

**Vs.**

**Ten-Ten**

The match happened in an instant. Temari of Suna was too much too handle for Ten-Ten, her various weapons strewn about.

"All of her weapon attacks," Neji said quietly, "rendered completely useless."

The spectators observed the beaten and bruised body that was Ten-Ten, her body bent backwards atop of her giant fan. She grinned as she threw Ten-Ten, leaving her to be impaled by the weapons that were everywhere.

"Shit!" Lee said as he swiftly jumped down and caught her.

Lee rose to his feet and was on the verge of attacking until Gai jumped from the balcony. "Lee!"

"Temari, you've been declared the winner," Gaara said, his arms crossed. "Stop wasting time with him."

"Just make sure you don't lose to those guys, Naruto!" Sakura said out of nowhere.

Naruto didn't bother looking her direction. He wasn't worried…

**Nara Shikamaru**

**Vs.**

**Kin Tsuchi**

"_Fuck, I gotta fight a girl."_

Kin made the first move, as she had threw a slew of senbon. Oddly, they had bells attached to them. Shikamaru was quick, dodging the weapons by merely ducking.

"Pff, that's a pretty old trick, if you ask me. Next you're going to throw one with a bell and one without. I'll dodge the first one by reacting to the sound, but won't see the second one coming."

Shikamaru heard the ringing of bells behind him and turned to the source of the ringing, noticing that they were being rung with an almost invisible strand of string.

Distracted, he was caught off guard by more of her senbon. Soon afterwards, she froze.

"_No way," _Kin thought.

"Damn, it finally worked," Shikamaru said.

"Why can't I see your shadow?"

"Look at the string," he answered. "A string at that height wouldn't be able to cast a shadow. So I made my shadow thin so you'd think it was the string."

Shikamaru then proceeded to pull a shuriken out of his holster, with Kin following suit.

"Are you crazy? If you attack me, you'll attack yourself!"

"I know," he said, a clever grin now planted on his face.

Shikamaru dodged it, leaning back as the shuriken grazed his forehead, nearly incapacitating him. Kin, however, closer to the wall, had hit her head when she dodged the shuriken, knocking herself unconscious.

"Winner, Nara Shikamaru!"

**Zaku Abumi**

**Vs.**

**Aburame Shino**

"_Is Zaku going to fight like that," _Sasuke thought. _"He has a cast around his arm."_

"Forfeit," Shino said.

"I'll only use one arm against you, bitch!"

Zaku charged the motionless figure of Shino, swinging his free left arm. The blocked attack gave Zaku the opening he needed to blast Shino with a pulse of air pressure. He smiled as the mysterious genin tumbled across the floor.

"Get the fuck up!"

Shino either rose from the command or of his own accord. All the same, the bugs that gathered on his left cheek caught Zaku's attention.

"_Bugs?…coming from below his skin!"_

Zaku, now on full alert, turned around, a large mass of bugs absolutely everywhere. Their overwhelming numbers almost made Zaku think twice about even attacking the bug-wielding genin before him.

"These are Kikaichū (Parasitic Destruction Bugs)," Shino said, observing one on his finger. "They attack in massive numbers and eat chakra. If this many attack you, you're done."

Zaku, in desperation, held both arms out, one aimed for Shino and the other at the mass of bugs. Unexpectedly, his arms exploded, a deafening scream coming from the figure squirming on the floor in a large pool of blood.

Neji activated his Byakugan, evident by the visible veins and arteries at his temples. As he observed Shino, his eyes widened. "Amazing. So that's the power of the Aburame Clan. There are bugs living inside of him."

"What?" Lee said, somewhat startled.

"Why did his arms explode though?" Kin asked Dosu.

"I suspect Shino had his bugs clog Zaku's air canals, and when he tried to use his jutsu, the air had nowhere to go…but outwards," he answered, narrowing his eyes as he observed Shino.

"Winner, Aburame Shino!"

Everyone's attention was now on the board, and, as the next two names appeared, Sasuke couldn't help but put on a smirk of delight.

* * *

_A/N: Well, I hope you enjoyed that chapter! Part 2, will hopefully be better, in my opinion._

_Questions, comments, complaints, criticisms? If any, leave a review!_

_Thanks for reading!_


	11. Chuunin Exam Prelims, Pt II

_A/N: That was fun. The most fun I had typing a chapter. Anyway, the Chuunin Exam Finals are near and the votes are in. Thanks to everyone who gave me their opinion in my poll. The winner: the SHARINGAN! Actually, I was kinda leaning towards that dojutsu anyway. I just wanted to see what everyone else thought. Now to answer a review:_

_**Twilight-The Moon Spirit**: No, Naruto won't be leeching the Byakugan from Hinata. The Sharingan will probably be the only kekkei genkai that he leeches from Konoha. Also, his hunger comes and goes, depending on if there's a kekkei genkai in his vicinity, meaning that he probably won't have a grip on when it comes. Later on, he will be able to surpress the hunger._

_Now, without further ado...the story._

_Enjoy!!_

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**Chapter 11**

**Stay Sharp! Chuunin Exam Preliminaries, Pt. II**

Five matches down, five to go. The Genin that had went beforehand, put on an amazing display of talent and power. There were five more matches left, the ten Genin that would take part in them, being some of the strongest shinobi in the room. The atmosphere was stifling and so full of austerity, yet the raven-haired Uchiha had the audacity to smirk as he stared up at the monitor. Everyone else gazed up at the screen with expressions of astonishment as Naruto turned to Sasuke.

"Why do you look surprised? You knew this was coming. Now, we'll see who's superior," Sasuke said, his gaze still fixed on the screen.

Sasuke had it all wrong. Naruto wasn't worried about the impending fight, nor was he worried about losing. Rather, he was worried for Sasuke. The blond thought of himself as somewhat superior to the Uchiha, however, they were both fighting for completely different reasons.

Naruto fought to become Hokage.

Sasuke, to kill his brother and avenge his clan's death.

They were both indeed powerful goals, worthy of fighting for. Ironically, they were both obstacles for the other, hindering the other's progress. Naruto couldn't let that happen. Sasuke, also, couldn't lose here.

Staring blankly ahead, the blond couldn't help but feel somewhat pitiful for his teammate, even thinking about taking it easy on Sasuke. However, he was a good fighter. No, more than a good fighter. An exceptional fighter.

A prodigy.

His battle prowess and quick thinking made him a formidable opponent.

But the same goes for Naruto…

**Uzumaki Naruto**

**Vs.**

**Uchiha Sasuke**

They both walked down to the battling area, seemingly taking their time. For the rest, waiting for the match to start was just as stressful as being a part of it.

Neji narrowed his eyes. _"Some of us have seen what they could do. With two shinobi like them, the results are unpredictable," _he thought as he crossed his arms.

Sakura had finally come to, knocked unconscious in her fight with Ino. She looked on at the two "friendly rivals," fearful of the disastrous results that would follow this fight. _"I don't know. I don't know who to go for. This fight…I don't want either of them to die!"_ Her eyes began to swell with tears as she thought of the match's outcomes. It saddened her to no end, but she kept her mouth closed.

At ground level, the two Genin approached each other with killing intent in their eyes, Sasuke emanating the most. Naruto, on the other hand, didn't want to kill the Uchiha. He just wanted to prove that he was stronger, and at long last, he had his chance.

Sasuke's lips formed a slight smirk compared to his opponent's austere, inert face. Hayate's eyes moved back and forth between the two, somewhat disturbed by the killing intent they were radiating. _"These two, they're releasing more killing intent than any other match I've proctored! The others didn't even have the will to kill each other…but these two…it's different."_

Naruto stared into Sasuke's dark, emotionless eyes, not daring to avert his gaze. The same for Sasuke. They both wanted the other to get a good taste of the other's killing intent before the match begun. It seemed, however, as if they were both unaffected by it.

"Begin," Hayate said, just as Naruto thought he would fall out. Not from the killing intent, but from his intense hunger.

Sasuke dashed at Naruto with superior speed, Hayate not even finishing the word "begin." The blond was caught off guard by Hayate's sudden fit of coughing, allowing Sasuke to punch Naruto in the face and send him flying into the opposite wall. The Uchiha put on a smirk as he observed the black figure stuck in the wall through the cloud of smoke.

"Katon: Gōkakyu no Jutsu!" (Fire Release: Grand Fireball Technique)

Sasuke spewed out a beam of intense flame, bathing the entire area with bright, orange fire. The attack finally ceased, and he squinted hard at the attack area as to see through the thick blanket of smoke. Suddenly, Sasuke felt a sharp pain at the base of his back that crept up the length of his spinal column. His attacks failed.

Naruto stood erect behind the statue-like figure of Sasuke, holding the kunai that was in the Uchiha's back.

Blood slowly crept out of the sides of his mouth as his erratic breathing began to calm. "Fuck, a Kage Bunshin. When did you?-"

"I would suggest activating your Sharingan," the blond interrupted. "Thanks to my kekkei genkai, the speed of my handseals have substantially increased."

With that, Sasuke quickly leapt from the kunai with blood squirting out of the hole on his back near his waist. Naruto, preparing to strike with kunai in hand, didn't have time to counter Sasuke's spinning kick, sending the blond spiraling in the air and tumbling on the ground afterwards.

The raven-haired one swiftly took to the air, forming the six required handseals for his jutsu. "Katon: Hōsenka no Jutsu!" (Fire Release: Phoenix Immortal Fire Technique).

The jutsu would've showered the area in balls of flame, if not for Naruto's last minute idea. With outstretched arms, he dispelled a combination of ice and snow from his hands, dissipating the flames and freezing the shuriken that were hidden within them.

Sasuke, still in the air, observed him all the while. _"What the hell is he? Either his jutsu require no use of handseals, or, like he said, his movements are just too fast."_

His senses on high alert, Sasuke spotted motion in his peripheral vision as he looked down. On the floor were two shadows, meaning someone or something was casting the other from behind him.

His eyes bulged as he hastily turned his head, swiftly receiving a shoe to the face that sent him hurling towards the floor headfirst at high speed.

"_Damn, I'm gonna have to use my Sharingan. But…the mark…"_

Sasuke's body slammed into the floor, kicking up a large cloud of smoke in the process. The astonished observers, with the exception of a few, put on expressions of perplexity and anxiety. The fight, at the moment, obviously wasn't going Sasuke's way, and that worried Kakashi.

"_Is Sasuke not attempting to fight back or is he trying to wear Naruto out? Either way, he loses. I just hope Naruto doesn't go so far as to kill him though."_

"_Naruto's speed…it's through the roof! If I can't catch him using any handseals, there's no way Sasuke can,"_ Neji thought, his keen eyes fixed on the airborne blond.

Said blond adjoined his hands with a large spear of ice as he finally lost momentum and began falling to the ground, adding a fatal spin to the attack as a safety measure as well as to ensure his target's death. "Jiten Hyōyari!" (Spiraling Ice Spear)

"_Smart move,"_ Kakashi thought. _"Adding the spin will dispel any fire-based techniques Sasuke might throw at him."_

Naruto, along with the enormous spire of ice, drilled into the ground due to the spinning effect of the attack. If the attack had indeed hit, there would be no way Sasuke would walk away from it alive.

The spectators managed to shield their eyes and faces in time as chunks of ice and debris flew out in all directions. It was a powerful attack indeed; it made the preexisting crater even larger, now about 20 feet in diameter.

"Katon: Gōkakyu no Jutsu!" (Fire Release: Grand Fireball Technique)

Sasuke was behind him, but it was too late to react, and the fireball was too large to avoid in time. Naruto did the opposite of what every person expected: he stood in place.

"Naruto! What're you thinking?" Sakura blurted.

"Sakura, be quiet. I think he knows what he's doing," Kakashi said, placing a hand on the pink-haired girl's shoulder.

She looked up at her Jonin sensei, curious as to why he requested she keep silent. "But-"

"Don't worry about him. They're both going all out, but because of that, they won't be able to kill each other. Much like you and Ino, they're almost evenly matched. The match will either come down to a win or a forfeit."

She turned back to the arena, no longer able to see the figure that was Naruto, given the fact that the entirety of the area he occupied was obscured by a large ball of flame.

"_Let's see what he does this time," _Sasuke thought, his two-tomoe Sharingan now activated.

The flames at last receded, slowly revealing a figure from within. The spectators jumped at Naruto's appearance as he emerged from the flames, unscathed. He was changed, to say the least.

Sasuke took a few steps back, ready and waiting for the slightest movement. "What the hell?…" he asked himself below his breath.

The blond was untouched, of course, but he took on a completely different appearance. His entire body, from head to toe, was now covered in ice! Everyone in the room, at this point, was either scared, worried, nervous, shocked, or all of the above.

The one visible eye of Kakashi's bulged upon sight of Naruto's awkward transformation. _"Wh-what's going on?" _he thought, remembering the mysterious death of Haku.

Sakura clasped her hands together as if she was praying. _"Naruto…please…don't kill Sasuke."_

Neji was undoubtedly nervous; worried that the boy covered in ice might be his future opponent. Nonetheless, he kept his face stoic and body language relaxed as he activated his Byakugan. _"Unbelievable! As Sasuke's jutsu covered Naruto, he lowered his internal body temperature to compensate for the immense heat within the fireball until his body became encased in ice. He's even infused it with chakra for added defense."_

Gai crossed his arms. _"There's no doubt that Sasuke won't be able to penetrate that kid's defense. But how is he going to keep up with Sasuke with 50 pounds of ice weighing his entire body down?"_

Naruto stepped out of the impact crater. "This is my Hyōshin (Ice Body). Your fire is useless and nothing can permeate this barrier. What the hell are you going to do now?"

Sasuke almost clutched his neck as another wave of pain shot up from the mark's location. He refrained so he wouldn't give it away. "Don't…under…estimate me, you fucking idiot," he said as the markings reemerged.

The Uchiha became a blurred figure instantaneously, reappearing directly in front of the humanoid ice figure.

"_What speed! That mark…" _Kakashi thought.

* * *

"Well, Anko, he seems to be displaying proficient control over the Curse Seal," Sarutobi said.

"Yeah, that's…strange."

"Why do you think that?"

"That boy, Uchiha…he should be dead."

"But he isn't Anko. You'll just have to get over it…and get over the fact that you're no longer the only one."

"You know how much I care about these kids, Hokage-sama, bu-"

"Look, don't worry any longer. He's able to resist it, even control it, as he is now. Like you, he has a strong will. That's why the both of you aren't dead right now."

Anko looked away, apparently no longer focused on the protracted fight.

* * *

Sasuke, now beneath Naruto, kicked him with nearly all the force his leg could generate, sending the heavy block of ice that was Naruto into the air.

"_That had to be a powerful kick to send something that heavy into the air," _Kakashi thought. _"There's no mistaking it. It has to be that mark."_

Sasuke reappeared behind Naruto, their backs parallel to the floor. The Uchiha was just about to initiate his technique when yet another wave of pain shot up his shoulder.

Lee stared off into space, then looked up at the two as he made a sudden realization. _"Of course! That's my technique, but he must've only copied part of it; he isn't doing anything."_

"Sure, I can't get through your special defense, but I bet I can shatter it," Sasuke said with a smirk. "It's time…for my Shishi Rendan!" (Lion Combo)

With that, Sasuke swung his left leg and kicked Naruto in his ribcage, continuously alternating between legs until they came within just feet of the floor. As they approached ground level, the Uchiha delivered the final kick to Naruto's chest, which, in turn, created another crater.

Sasuke, unable to stabilize himself, slid across the floor as Naruto lay motionless a few feet away. The Uchiha had numerous bruises and gashes on his legs as a result of kicking the chakra-infused ice. As Hayate began walking over to check on the blond, he sprung to life, cracks covering various parts of his body.

He walked over to Sasuke as his body shattered. "Damn you, Sasuke," he said with gritted teeth.

"_I see. The chakra flow inside the ice wasn't distributed evenly, so he simply attacked its weak points, which were the areas around his ribcage," _Neji thought.

He quickly rose, swiftly grabbed by the neck with a frozen hand. Naruto lifted him off the floor and looked him in his Sharingan eyes as Sasuke struggled for oxygen. "I know what we are to each other, Sasuke. We aren't friends, but rivals, and our rivalry ends here!" the blond said, escalating his volume near the end of his sentence.

He released his firm grip from Sasuke's neck, punching him in the gut with his frozen fist as he came down. Leaning into the blow added extra force and sent the Uchiha flying into the far wall. Suddenly, as noticed by a few spectators, the atmosphere had become grim as a red aura began to form around Naruto.

"_It's the same chakra I felt on the bridge!" _Kakashi thought, surprised to no end.

"_He's tapped its chakra!" _Sarutobi thought.

"_What sinister chakra," _Neji thought.

The many cuts and miscellaneous wounds on the boy's body began healing at an alarming rate. His canines grew in length and his eyes took on a red hue. The transformation had only been partially complete before he made a beeline for Sasuke, who was now stuck in the wall.

"_YES! FINALLY!"_

While emanating killing intent and with a maniacal smile on his face, he reared his clawed hand back, now within striking distance.

"It's over," a voice said from behind him as he slammed into the wall.

Naruto reappeared, no longer shrouded in the Kyuubi's chakra, but livid all the same. He observed Hayate as he held Sasuke, sparing him from death in the nick of time.

"He said he forfeited, but I guess you couldn't hear him. Anyway, you're the winner."

Naruto looked at Sasuke and then up at the spectators. The room was now completely silent, except for Hayate's coughing, of course. It sure didn't feel like he'd won anything. He now waited impatiently for someone to speak and break the silence that reverberated throughout the arena. It was an awkward silence, full of austerity.

The blond slowly moved across the balcony to a vacant location and bent over on the railing, waiting for the next match.

"Winner by forfeit of the sixth match, Uzumaki Naruto! Let's proceed!"

**Akado Yoroi**

**Vs.**

**Sabaku no Gaara**

"Damn, I gotta get paired with the Suna kid," Yoroi said below his breath.

"_We finally get to witness his strength," _Sarutobi thought, taking a puff out of his pipe as if it were his last.

"I forfeit," Yoroi said, shaking slightly. Gaara was releasing killing intent. But it felt different from anything he ever felt. It was worse…

"Winner by forfeit…Sabaku no Gaara!"

**Akimichi Choji**

**Vs.**

**Inuzuka Kiba**

"Hell yeah! It's finally our turn, Akamaru!"

"Someone, tap Choji," Gai said, as the one who would be fighting next had his face stuffed in a large bag of chips.

"What?" he asked angrily.

"You're up, fat-ass!" Ino said.

"Damn, you're lucky we're on the same team!"

Choji made his way down and approached Kiba, who had a grin planted on his face. It made Choji feel slightly uncomfortable. He looked everywhere but at Kiba, who just stared at him, grinning.

"Begin!"

Kiba immediately went into action, throwing a kunai aimed for Choji's throat. The "husky" Genin blocked the weapon that otherwise would've killed him but failed to realize the true intention of the attack. Behind Choji, Kiba leapt into a powerful drop-kick, sending him flying.

"Let's do this Akamaru! Jūjin Bunshin!" (Beast Human Clone)

Kiba's dog, Akamaru transformed into a perfect copy of him, while Kiba used his Shikyaku no Jutsu (Four Legs Technique) to perfectly mimic Akamaru's movements. By this time, Choji was on his feet and ready for the strike. The animalistic duo ran towards him on all fours, yet with impressive speed. The Kiba in the front slid beneath him, Choji's attention now on his feet. That gave the other Kiba the opportunity to leap over him without being seen.

"_The Kiba in front was used as a diversion for the other to leap over," _Neji thought. _"Smart move for a stupid looking Genin."_

"Crazy speed," Lee said inaudibly.

They began delivering a series of combos from the front and back, Choji finding himself unable to even move. He could only sit and block.

An idea finally hit him, and he lowered his guard for a few seconds as he formed the two required handseals for his signature jutsu. "Baika no Jutsu!" (Multi-Size Technique)

His sudden expansion blasted the two in opposite directions, sending them tumbling along the floor for awhile. "Finally, some space. Nikudan Sensha!" (Human Bullet Tank)

With that, Choji tucked his limbs and head into his spherical body and propelled himself in the direction of Kiba.

But it was too late.

Kiba leapt in the air in time to avoid the human tank. "Yahoo! C'mon, Akamaru! Gatsūga!" (Dual Piercing Fang)

Akamaru, still in the guise of his master, leapt into the air with him as they both began spinning at ferocious speeds. The now blurred figures of the duo spun towards the rolling Choji. The human tank slammed into a wall, producing an immense cloud of smoke. Not long afterwards, the spiraling pair slammed into the wall, actually drilling through it.

Then, there was silence, the sounds of falling debris echoing throughout the arena. The spectators held their breath as a figure emerged from the smoke.

It was Choji.

His body was horribly cut and scarred, but he managed to carry himself as he wobbled over a piece of the fallen wall. Then he fell flat on his face.

Movement could be heard from within the wall, the beaten figure of Kiba emerging. While his coat was tattered and his hood ripped off, he seemed to be in better shape.

"Winner, Inuzuka Kiba!"

**Hyuuga Hinata**

**Vs.**

**Kinuta Dosu**

Hinata and Dosu stood face to face, glaring at each other through narrow eyes. Hayate noticed that Dosu was the only one emanating any killing intent. Hinata didn't want to look away, but she saw Neji, then Naruto.

"_He's looking…at me," _she thought.

"_Now, Hinata, show us what you can do," _Neji thought, activating his Byakugan.

"Begin!"

Dosu would be the one to make the first move, as he charged Hinata, keeping his body extremely low to the floor. Hinata, with her Byakugan activated, struck at Dosu, who was now a mere blur. He was behind her, and as he swung his Speaker Arm, she ducked instead of blocking it.

"_Nice! Unlike me, I assume she's going to dodge his attacks so his arm doesn't make contact," _Lee thought.

Now below the Oto-nin, she thrusted an open palm into his gut, sending him stumbling back. She stepped forward and used his stumbling as a split second opening to thrust him in the sternum, which put him on his back. She stayed where she was as Dosu coughed, showering his face with his own blood.

"_Damn, too easy," _Neji thought.

"Winner, Hyuuga Hinata! The final match is underway!"

**Rock Lee**

**Vs.**

**Hyuuga Neji**

Neji and Lee both assumed their respective taijutsu stances before the match started. It was a tense atmosphere. These were two Genin that knew how to fight, but only one of them would come out the victor.

"Begin!"

Neji immediately threw several kunai at Lee's feet, causing him to jump to avoid most of them. Neji was now within striking distance of the midair Lee. Neji went in for a strike, but Lee flipped himself in the air, his foot coming down on Neji's head, while, at the same time, avoiding the attack. Neji landed on his hands, pushing himself back up into the air.

"Konoha Senpū!" (Leaf Whirlwind)

Neji received a swift spinning kick to the face, leaving him spinning in air with his chest to the floor. Lee then proceeded to jump in the air and, as he did so, brought his feet down onto Neji's back, using all the force his powerful legs could generate.

He grunted in pain as he made contact with the floor, at the same time, dissipating in a cloud of smoke.

"_Damn!" _Lee thought.

Neji leapt forward and thrusted his palm into Lee's back, but he quickly regained his composure as he slid along the floor.

"_That should be enough…just so he doesn't use that jutsu."_

Lee put on a grimace of pain as he clutched his side. _"Ugh, shit. I can't feel my chakra. If I'm going to win this, I have to dodge his attacks, which are meant to block my tenketsu."_

Neji leapt to Lee yet again with a chakra-enhanced palm, immediately within striking distance. "You should just give in, Lee."

"Konoha Reppū!" (Leaf Gale)

Lee ducked to avoid the strike, at the same time, sweeping Neji off his feet. The genius Genin contorted his body in air and landed on his hands, quickly throwing four kunai, two at a time. The first wave was aimed at high and low points while the second wave concentrated on lateral points, forming something of a diamond.

"_He's forcing me to move so he can strike."_

Lee did the unthinkable and jumped through the kunai, only to receive another blow to the back that slammed him to the floor.

"Lee, it's over. You can't use any jutsu and…as for your taijutsu…I have a counter," Neji said, pointing to his eyes.

Lee slowly turned his sore neck, observing Gai's warm, reassuring smile. "Well, so do I."

Lee jumped atop the handseal statue and shot another glance at Gai before taking his weights off. They didn't look heavy at all, but every person watching, except Gai, dropped their mouths as the weights slammed to the floor, creating huge explosions.

"_That boy…was moving like that with those weights on?"_ Kakashi thought.

"That's insane!" Shikamaru blurted.

"_His speed should be increased ten-fold, maybe more. Still, it doesn't matter. With my Byakugan, I can see every square inch of this arena."_

Lee was suddenly nowhere, reappearing behind Neji just as fast as he vanished.

"_Damn! I didn't think he would be that fast!"_

"_His speed is incredible! How can a human move that fast?"_ Sakura thought.

Neji, however, had his plan completely formulated. "Hakkeshō Kaiten!" (Eight Trigrams Palms Heavenly Spin)

Neji quickly spun around in place, releasing chakra from his chakra points at the same time. The result was an enormous barrier of chakra that blasted Lee into the side wall. With that, Neji swiftly dashed to his location as fast as he possibly could, reaching him just as soon as he hit the wall.

"You see, Lee, you were never fit to beat me. You entered the Academy a loser. So how does a loser plan to beat a genius, huh? It's not possible. That was decided as soon as you were born."

Neji's incisive taunts and unnecessary comments angered Lee, but there was nothing he could do as another palm was thrusted, this time, into his sternum. Lee's momentum from Neji's Hakkeshō Kaiten, combined with the force of the extra blow, sent them through the wall.

Gai looked up at the ceiling, then back down, his mind seemingly elsewhere. _"You gave it your all, Lee. You gave it your all."_

Neji appeared soon afterwards, carrying the battered body of his teammate.

Hayate raised his hand in the air. "The preliminaries for the third test are now complete!"

Everyone was glad that the preliminaries were over at last.

Everyone except for one Uzumaki Naruto.

He leaned over the balcony railing, shaking in pain as he gritted his teeth. It was taking far too long.

He could only think about the day he would fight Sasuke again. He didn't care who had the kekkei genkai. He just knew that he needed one, and soon. Waiting was beginning to take a toll on his body.

Even so, he became overjoyed whenever he thought about fighting Sasuke again…

And taking his kekkei genkai as he screeched in agonizing pain from the process.

His face formed a smile as the Hokage called down the winners.

He smiled because he just couldn't help it…

* * *

**_Jutsu Index_**

**Jiten Hyōyari (Spiraling Ice Spear)**: A technique that utilizes the Hyoton kekkei genkai. The user gathers moisture particles in the air and freezes them with chakra, simply forming it into a large spike, usually adding spin to the attack as an added defensive measure. The attack can be launched from any angle, but the most effective would probably be from above because the user would have more velocity thus increasing the attack power. However, they would first have to subdue their opponent. The drawback is because the hit rate is quite low, the ice usually isn't infused with chakra. This technique has several other variants.

Class: Offensive  
Type: Ice  
Rank: C

**Hyōshin (Ice Body)**: A technique that utilizes the Hyoton kekkei genkai. This technique is brought about two different ways. The first method: The user gathers moisture particles in the air, at the same time, binding them onto their body. The second method: The user lowers their body temperature until their body is encased in ice. The user would have almost precise control over their internal temperature so that they don't reach absolute zero, which would, in turn, encase them in a block of ice rather than have it on the surface of their skin. How low the user should lower their internal temperature, depends on the amount of heat all around them at that time. The ice can also be infused with chakra. Though generally used for defense, this technique has some offensive variations.

Class: Defensive, Offensive  
Type: Ice  
Rank: B

_Question, comments, complaints, crticisms? If any, leave a review! __Thanks for reading!!_


	12. One Month Break

_A/N: Hello, all! It sure has been awhile. And I must say, I had fun with this chapter and was pleased with how it came together. Anyway, the wait between chapters will be quite long as I have a lot on my plate right now. Regardless, I hope you enjoy the story. Now, to answer some reviews:_

_**The Reader8**: Thanks for the suggestion. However, since you said you would be using it for one of your stories, I won't use it. However, I will be using an alternate version much like your idea but with clear differences. Be sure to stay on the lookout for it in chapters to come..._

_**cryptozthunderlord**: Well, Yoroi's Chakra Absorption technique wouldn't be considered a kekkei genkai since he isn't the only one able to use it. The other is Jirobo. Thanks for the suggestion though!_

_Now, without further ado...the story!_

_Enjoy!!_

**

* * *

**

**Chapter 12**

**One Month Break: The Finals are Around the Corner!**

The nine Genin that have taken place in the preliminaries and would be moving on, stood awaiting further instructions from Sarutobi. The atmosphere finally lost its austerity and was now calm, the silence somewhat soothing Naruto's now less severe migraine.

Sarutobi slowly took a puff from his pipe as his face formed a smile. After a few minutes of unnecessary silence, Hayate finally stepped forward. "Congratulations to those that are standing here now, as you have passed the preliminaries for the main event! Hokage-sama?"

With that being said, Hayate stepped back with a cough and allowed Sarutobi to come forward, the elderly man's hands behind his back. He then proceeded to take a prolonged puff from his pipe before looking each Genin in their eyes. "I'm going to remind you all that each of you are representing the strength of your countries. Show everyone what you have without holding back an ounce of power. So…you'll want to make preparations for this special event…"

Shikamaru flinched at the word. Preparations? On the other hand, Naruto's face remained devoid of any expression as he refrained from conveying the physical and mental pain he was in. Neji had a look on his face that expressed preparations as completely redundant.

Sarutobi continued. "That's why the Chuunin Exam Finals will be held a month from now," he said, the Genin immediately giving him confused looks. "You'll need to be prepared, physically and mentally."

Then, he stopped, taking yet another puff from his wooden, ancient-looking pipe. While he failed to notice it before, Naruto now closely observed the markings inscribed on the length of the pipe. They were oddly intriguing.

He exhaled another cloud of smoke. "Now, before I dismiss you, there's something important that has to be done first," he said as Anko approached them with a box in her hand.

"Each of you are going to take a slip of paper," she said with a slim grin.

"Now that you all have one, tell us the number on that paper," Sarutobi said.

"Eight," Shino said.

"One," Naruto said almost inaudibly.

"Two," Shikamaru said, a lethargic expression planted on his face.

"Five," Hinata said, her eyes focused on the floor.

"Three," Gaara breathed.

"I've got nine," Neji said quite nonchalantly.

"Seven," Temari said.

"Six," Kankuro said loudly.

"Four," Kiba said with a grin.

Sarutobi removed his pipe from his mouth. "Now, Ibiki, show them the match-ups for the finals."

Ibiki turned his clipboard around, revealing the names of the nine Genin placed on a tournament grid. They looked on, closely observing the name that was next to his/hers. It was obvious that the tension had arisen once again.

_Naruto vs. Shikamaru_

_Gaara vs. Kiba_

_Hinata vs. Kankuro_

_Shino vs. Neji_

_Shino or Neji vs. Temari_

Some glared at their opponent with looks of malice as if the finals had already started. Some were anxious, while some, on the other hand, just didn't give a damn. One prime example being Naruto who, in his pain, hardly knew what was even going on.

Shikamaru continuously took quick glances at Naruto, who would be his opponent. _"Damn…why me? Well, at least I don't need to prepare…I already lost."_

"I hope you don't take this break lightly," Sarutobi said. "Now, before we dismiss, are there any questions or concerns?"

Shikamaru reluctantly raised his hand. "If the finals are tournament style, and there will only be one winner, does that mean only one person can be promoted to Chuunin?"

"Not necessarily," Sarutobi answered. "The judges for the finals, including myself, are the leaders of the Elemental Countries. We will be observing and evaluating skills throughout the tournament. Those deemed worthy enough to be promoted will be promoted, even if they lose in their first match."

"In that case, there's a possibility that everyone on the tournament grid can become a Chuunin," Neji said, stroking his chin.

"Correct. But, there's also the possibility that no one can become a Chuunin," Sarutobi responded.

The looks of perplexity and anxiety on most of the Genin's faces were enough to make even Ibiki feel almost sorry for them. Nonetheless, he observed the group with his soul-piercing eyes as Sarutobi smiled, holding his pipe in place with his teeth. "You are now dismissed until a month from now," he said.

* * *

_Two days later with Naruto; a day after meeting Jiraiya…_

Naruto stood rooted in place as he glared up at the man he called "Gama-Sennin." While the white-haired man was a pervert himself, it was a lot better than being trained by Ebisu, who was originally hired to train the boy by Kakashi.

"I'm impressed, kid. You've mastered the water walking exercise on your first try," he said.

Naruto remained completely stoic, his body not even moving a muscle as he stood with his arms crossed, staring up into the sky. "Yeah, that's great, but look what else I can do," he said, strolling over to the hot bath.

The boy placed his hand on the water's surface, and Jiraiya's mouth immediately dropped to the ground as the entirety of the pool froze within seconds. The Sennin knelt down with his hands on Naruto's shoulders, looking the boy in his sky-blue eyes. "You know Hyōton…but how?"

"I don't really know. It hurts whenever I try to remember."

"_This is definitely a strange occurrence. One, no such kekkei genkai has ever existed in Konoha. Two, why would it hurt whenever he tries to remember?" _Jiraiya thought as he gazed fixedly on the frozen pool.

* * *

_Meanwhile; a canyon…_

The stifling heat radiating from the great, yellow ball of fire beat down on Kakashi's masked face as he slung his hand upward, clutching an area on the cliff that allowed his to pull himself upward.

Oddly enough, his other hand was tied firmly behind his back.

His arm and body, shaking from the strain, nearly gave in to fatigue. Nonetheless, the Jonin never lost composure. _"Damn, this is getting hard. How long has it been?"_

Kakashi finally came to a ledged part of the rock structure, swinging his leg up. The rock underneath, too weak to support that much weight, gave in and cracked, nearly causing him to lose his grip. Still relaxed, he heaved a sigh as he closed his eyes, suddenly reopening them and exploding with newfound strength as he shot himself further up the cliff with one arm movement.

"Finally," a figure said, standing above Kakashi.

"So you're here," he said as he pulled himself over the ledge.

* * *

_Meanwhile; one of Konoha's training grounds…_

A near invisible punch was thrown simultaneously with several shuriken and kunai. Both attacks were too fast to be seen with the untrained eye, however…

Neji managed to stop them without even using Hakkeshō Kaiten (Eight Trigrams Palms Heavenly Spin).

Affording him 360 degrees of vision, the genius Hyuuga is able to see any attack coming his direction and counter it efficiently. The speed and accuracy of his attacks surprised his teammates, even Lee, who was purported to be the fastest Genin in Konoha.

"_Neji's speed…he's gotten a lot faster," _Ten-Ten thought, her breathing heavy.

"_Neji's getting faster…but if I hope to beat him…I must also," _Lee thought, angered at the prospect of losing to Neji.

He turned his head, his back still to his teammates. "That's enough of the warm-up. Let's turn it up a notch. Lee, you're going to spar with me."

* * *

_Meanwhile…_

"I was given rather strict orders to abduct Sasuke," the bespectacled shinobi said with a smile. "I was close, but in the end, I failed. They discovered I was a spy for Oto."

The shinobi next to him stared up at the bright, clear sky, not at all put off by the visual intake of the sun's vibrant rays. The left half of his face was covered by a veil of cloth. "If they find out that we've met, our plans will be completely ruined. Anyway, you're Orochimaru's right-hand man, and you get caught spying; now you're meeting me in the open. I thought you'd be a little bit more…inconspicuous."

"Well, to be more accurate, they didn't uncover my identity, I did that myself as I escaped. So taking Sasuke afterwards won't be a problem."

"All the same, Suna will stay in the background for a while longer. After all, that is Kazekage-sama's will."

"_Why him and Suna? This doesn't make any sense," _Hayate thought, eavesdropping from behind a nearby pillar in a crouched position to maximize stealth.

"Here are our plans, Baki," Kabuto said, handing the man a scroll.

"_Our ally was connected with Oto from the start! Shit! I've got to inform Hokage-sama!"_

"I'll do my part and take care of the hiding rat," Baki said, a bloodthirsty look now visible in his uncovered eye.

Hayate attempted to slip away but was immediately met face to face with the Suna shinobi. His veil flowing in the wind, Baki's face formed a slim grin as he emanated some killing intent, bent on intimidating the Konoha Tokubetsu Jonin into fear. "My, my, what do we have here?" Baki asked. "Why'd you come alone though?"

"I didn't," Hayate said, unsheathing his sword. "Konoha Ryū: Mikazuki no Mai!" (Dance of the Crescent Moon)

Initiating his technique, Hayate created three kage bunshins that fluidly circled their opponent while swinging their blades. The bodies, as well as the blades, left behind intangible afterimages which to further confuse the opponent.

"Impressive," Baki said, standing in the same spot.

The figures that were Hayate were now nothing more than blurs. Suddenly, Baki felt a sharp pain in his shoulder, as the sickly shinobi had already sliced down on it, blood splattering on both of their faces.

"Mastering Konoha Ryū: Mikazuki no Mai at such a young age," Baki said with a smile full of killing intent. Then with much unwarranted sarcasm, "Konoha is just full of impressive shinobi, isn't it?"

"_I can't pull my blade out!"_

Baki sighed, then smiled, as Hayate flinched at the sudden jump in killing intent. "I managed to stop your blade…now stop mine!"

* * *

_Meanwhile, with Naruto; one of Konoha's training grounds…_

Jiraiya stood underneath a large tree branch as Naruto stood below him, holding his head in pain. "What's the matter, Naruto?"

"Nothing," he quickly responded.

"Well, it has come to my attention that because you can use Hyōton, you should also be able to use some Fūton and Suiton jutsu. That's why I brought you here…you're going to train on using one of your nature-type jutsu: Fūton."

Naruto was now doubled over in pain due to his immense hunger and gradually worsening migraine. Jiraiya, seeing this, jumped from the branch and walked over to console his pupil. "Hey, Naruto, you okay?"

"I need…I need a…"

"You need what?" Jiraiya asked, ready to carry Naruto to the hospital because of his now erratic breathing.

"A kekkei…genkai."

"That's it, we're going back."

"No! Wait, I'm fine…I just need…a walk," the boy said, sweating profusely.

The Sage gave a sigh of relief as he helped Naruto to his feet. As the two began walking through the village, Naruto had an epiphany, now excited even though his expressions were filled with pain and struggle. The sudden realization hit him so hard, that his headache worsened for that moment, nearly causing the boy to curse aloud. Naruto stopped, letting Jiraiya continue on his own.

Sasuke was no longer around him…

That had to mean that there was another kekkei genkai in his vicinity!

He didn't think about it much, in fact, he didn't think about it at all.

He watched Jiraiya fade into the distance as he stood in place, shaking from his bodily pain. If he waited any longer, would he die? The boy suddenly broke into a sprint. He ran in the direction of the kekkei genkai he'd been sensing. He hoped, against hope, that he would find its source.

"Feeling better, Naruto?" Jiraiya asked as he turned around, surprised to see that he wasn't there. "Damn!" With that, he turned on heel and ran back in the direction they came from, somewhat concerned for the boy's safety and health.

* * *

_Meanwhile; one of Konoha's training grounds…_

Lee, at last, saw an opening as he dashed Neji from behind, hoping, all the while, that he didn't see the strike coming. However, what he got wasn't what he hoped. Neji timed his movement with Lee's, merely stepping out of the way as he thrust a palm into Lee's already slightly injured ribcage.

"Lee, that's enough!" Ten-Ten shouted, now concerned for Lee's condition, as the fight hadn't been going his way. "I'll spar wi-"

"No! He is my opponent! Not yours, not anybody's! I will surpass him!" Lee was infuriated, evident by the fact that he was now removing his leg weights, despite the pain he was experiencing.

"Let him fight, Ten-Ten. He does not yet know that he cannot beat me no matter what he does," Neji said, his silver eyes glistening in the sunlight. "Lee, I've already told you, this is your destiny: weakness and ultimately, defeat."

"Then how did a failure beat a prodigy? Huh? How did Naruto beat Sasuke?" Lee asked, able to stand but with much difficulty. "You always compared me to Naruto! You said he was weak!"

"Open your eyes, Lee! We've all seen what Naruto can do! It's obvious that he has surpassed Sasuke, in almost every aspect as a matter fact. They're both extraordinarily powerful shinobi, but only one can come out on top…" It seemed that Neji was angered by Lee's persistent optimism. If so, he didn't appear so anymore. He simply looked up into the sky, though the forest canopy obscured the blue void. "Just like me and you," he finished.

"Neji…Lee…what happened?" Ten-Ten asked herself inaudibly, her eyes glazing over as she stood immobilized with fear and anxiety.

"You're the failure…and I'm the genius! Stop fighting it!" Neji shouted as Lee charged him once more.

With that, Neji activated his Byakugan and entered his signature Jūken (Gentle Fist) stance as Lee's now superior speed enabled him to quickly close in on the Hyuuga. In striking distance, Lee punched Neji with all the force his arm could generate, sending his bewildered teammate flying through the forest.

"_His speed!…I-I can't keep up with that!" _Neji admitted to himself as he finally came to a halt in a small clearing. _"So he's like Naruto in more ways than I thought…"_

Lee almost fell to his knees, being lifted by an unknown force. At this point, Ten-Ten began crying as Gai held Lee by his arm, his facial expression the epitome of austere. He whispered something in Lee's ear, then turned to Ten-Ten. "Go find Neji. Tell him I said to get some rest," he said, his stoic expression worrying Ten-Ten, as she was accustomed to seeing him upbeat and joyous.

"Y-yes, Sensei," she responded as she wiped her eyes.

* * *

_Meanwhile, with Naruto…_

The blond had turned off a narrow dirt road, leading to Konoha's outskirts. For the most part, the area was abandoned.

However, his feeling gradually grew stronger.

He kept going, despite what Jiraiya might have to say about his sudden, unsupervised departure.

As Naruto continued, he noticed that the trees began to get larger and the flora became more abundant; thus quickly realizing that he had entered a forest, one possibly even larger than the Forest of Death.

He walked on, the peculiar feeling in the pit of his stomach becoming magnified with each arduous step. It was absolutely silent except for the boy's heavy breathing and movement through the grass and leaves. When he just couldn't continue any longer, he fell to his knees, beads of sweat falling from the tip of his nose.

His sense was sending signals throughout his body, to the point where he could no longer stand. On his knees, the blond managed to look up, a small cabin in his view.

That was where it was!

Due to a surge of adrenaline, he immediately made a beeline for the cabin, suddenly being pulled from behind by an unknown force. He looked down only to observe a large vine wrapped around his waist.

"Why are you here?" a disembodied voice asked.

Naruto didn't answer but instead began struggling to free himself of the vine as he quickly pulled out a kunai to cut it, but to much futility. With that, the vine began squeezing the boy's waist tighter.

"I would not do anything if I were you," the voice said. It sounded quite feminine. "The more you struggle, the worse it gets for you."

Naruto, slowly being constricted to death, finally opened his mouth, uttering his words slowly. "I was…exploring."

"What for?"

"T-to research…on various kekkei genkai," the boy said with a grimace of pain.

"What do you want to know about my kekkei genkai?"

There was a moment of silence as Naruto contemplated his next answer. If he wasn't careful, the indestructible vine would crush his body, leaving extensive damage. He then had an idea, but he wasn't sure on how to word it. The boy gritted his teeth as the vine's grip grew ever tighter, encouraging him to validate his claim. "I want to…study it…in a fight."

Another period of silence was followed by the rustling of the forest leaves, leaving Naruto somewhat afraid for his life, as he was completely defenseless. As the breeze died down, the vines loosened their grip on the boy, and he was on his feet.

* * *

_Meanwhile, with Jiraiya…_

"Excuse me, sir? Have you seen a blond boy about this tall wearing an orange jumpsuit anywhere?"

"No, I'm afraid I haven't," the elderly man responded.

Jiraiya walked off, shuffling his feet as he hung his head low in shame. If Sarutobi or any of the Jonin were to find out that Naruto was captured and/or killed while under his tutelage, there's no doubt that the consequences would be severe. _"Damn, Naruto. Why'd you have to go run off by yourself? Shit, what am I worried about? He still has to be in the village! I'm sure he'll turn up."_

* * *

_Meanwhile, with Kakashi; a canyon…_

After Sasuke finished his lighting fast attack, Kakashi walked to him, observing him up and down. _"His chakra control is so refined at his age. It's almost scary."_

Sasuke began to feel slightly uncomfortable in the stern silence, with Kakashi seemingly lost in a train of thought. "So, how was it?"

The Jonin was instantly snapped back into reality upon hearing his pupil's voice. "For the most part, you have no difficulty in generating the attack. It's just that because of the large amount of chakra it uses, it can only be used a certain number of times per day. Got it?"

"Sure. How many?"

"Three times," the masked shinobi quickly responded.

"Damn, three? How can you use it so?-"

"While you do have excellent chakra control, the amount of chakra you put into the jutsu is more than you actually need, which is why your number of usage is so low. Be warned though, if you use this jutsu more than three times, you'll exhaust your chakra and most likely die."

Sasuke looked out into the horizon, breathing heavily and sweating profusely. He deliberated upon Kakashi's words, attempting to burn the number "3" into the back of his mind.

* * *

_With Naruto…_

A lean figure slowly emerged directly in front of him, camouflaged by the surrounding plant life. The figure's breasts reinforced the fact that the disembodied voice was indeed female. She had dark red hair tied into a ponytail and smooth, flawless skin, given the fact that she did live in a forest. She wore an all-white yukata and also wore geta on her feet, much like Jiraiya.

"I suppose I should introduce myself before our fight. My name is Shuichi Minamino, daughter of Konoha's legendary Plant Wielder, Shiore Minamino who, by the way, fought in the Third Great Shinobi War."

"My name is Uzumaki Naruto. So…tell me about your kekkei genkai," he said, feeling nauseated.

"My kekkei genkai, Yachigusa (literally meaning Variety of Plants), affords me and my clan complete control over plants. We also cannot create them, but to compensate for that, we can summon them."

"Summon plants?" Naruto said, never wanting to engage in any sort of conversation with the person he was going to kill.

"While Kuchiyose (Summoning) is a fairly common technique, my clan's is a complete secret to the outside world. It allows us to summon Onihonzou (Demon Plants) from Makai."

"Well, let's get this over with," he said, throwing a kunai.

"_It__ is a diversion! The true one is!…"_

Shuichi read through the attack and roundhouse kicked Naruto in the face as he lunged at her from behind with a kunai in hand. As he tumbled along the ground, more vines attempted to grab him, at which point he just ran from them.

"_Enough fucking around!" _he thought, for some reason extremely bloodthirsty.

The blond gathered moisture particles in the air, simultaneously freezing them with his chakra. The resulting mass of ice took on the form of a spear. The boy decided to keep some distance in between the two, at the same time, throwing the spear with impeccable force. "Hyōyari!" (Ice Spear)

Upon contact, the figure that was Shuichi burst into a pile of various plants. Naruto's jaw dropped as he heard movement behind him, instinctively throwing a kunai without even turning to acknowledge the source of the sound. Much to the boy's dismay, it was swiftly blocked by a thick vine that seemingly appeared out of nowhere.

"You will never be able to attack me," she said calmly, even her face devoid of any expression. "My Honzou Bunshin (Plant Clones) will take care of you."

That being said, an idea suddenly hit Naruto. If his assumption was true, then every one that he encounters should be a clone. He clasped his hands together as Shuichi raised her arms.

"_What's she doing?"_

"Yachigusa no Jutsu: Konohakiri Reppū!" (Variety of Plants Technique: Leaf Blade Gale)

Within moments, leaves came from all directions and began swirling around the unsuspecting blond. It started with only a few leaves slicing through his jumpsuit, creating only minor cuts. Progressively, the number of leaves increased along with their cutting power.

"_Shit! There's no escaping this!" _he thought, at this point, his body horribly scarred and jumpsuit in tatters.

The attack seemed to go on for eternity, and after only a few minutes elapsed, the boy got another idea, one that involved practice he never had. He closed his eyes and let the Kyuubi take care of the rest.

Shuichi backed away, able to feel the sinister presence of the demon. _"What is this feeling? It is coming from him!"_

As the Kyuubi's evil red chakra encircled him, he looked up at her with his deep red eyes, emanating killing intent that immobilized her with fear.

Suddenly, he was nowhere, seemingly materializing behind her with his clawed hand in the base of her back. Again, she burst into a pile of plants and leaves.

"_So she thinks she can fool me? What a dumb bitch! I can feel her kekkei genkai!"_

Naruto suddenly dashed for the isolated cabin on all fours, Shuichi attempting to halt his progress with another large vine. She managed to wrap him within the vine with constricting force.

"Goodbye," she said softly.

With that, thorns sprung out all over the vine with invisible speed, retracting back within the vine as quickly as they had emerged, killing Naruto instantly.

Then, he suddenly vanished in a cloud of smoke.

Moments later, the vine slithered back into the forest as she, yet again, burst into another pile of leaves.

* * *

Naruto had his clawed hand in the woman's chest, his chakra causing her eyes to bulge even as her life was slowly extracted. He laughed maniacally as he screamed his pleasure. "YES! YES! FINALLY! IT'S MINE! IT'S MINE!" he shouted at the top of his lungs.

While the hunger wasn't present at the moment, he knew full well that it would be back.

Moreover, he would have to keep satisfying that hunger.

Still, he remembered what the Kyuubi told him long ago that still haunted him deep down inside and would probably continue to haunt him…

* * *

_A/N: I hope you enjoyed that as much as I did, even though I felt that I rushed it a little towards the end. Anyway, for those of you that need a refresher, Shuichi Minamino is Kurama's real name from Yu Yu Hakusho. I decided to have him make a cameo appearance since Naruto was to absorb a plant-wielding kekkei genkai anyway. And yes, I know Kurama is male. I just decided to change his gender and use his true name._

**_Jutsu Index_**

**Hyōyari (Ice Spear)**: A technique that utilizes the Hyōton kekkei genkai. The user first gathers moisture particles from the air, freezing them with their chakra. The user then molds it into a spear. The spear can also be infused with chakra to increase its invulnerability and offensive capabilities, at which point, it will be able to pierce even steel. Like the Ice Disc and Great Ice Needle, the spear will instantly freeze anything it goes through.

Class: Offensive  
Type: Ice  
Rank: C

**Yachigusa (Variety of Plants)**: This kekkei genkai belongs to the Minamino clan. It grants the user complete control over all plant life as if it were an extention of their body. It should not be confused with Mokuton, where the user controls wood. While the user can control plants from afar, they can only control those within a 10-20 km radius, depending on how potent the user's abilities are.

**Kuchiyose no Jutsu: Onihonzou (Summoning Technique: Demon Plants)**: A summoning technique that utilizes the Yachigusa kekkei genkai. Users of Yachigusa can't create plants, but to materialize plants where there is no plant life, they summon demon plants from Makai, which are more hostile and ferocious than normal plants. These plants are alive and even have minds of their own, also capable of sustaining themselves through the ingestion of any kind of meat since their environment, Makai, has no sunlight for photosynthesis. Other contracts for summoning require blood contracts before summoning, however, users of Yachigusa don't need such contracts to summon. Reasons for this are unknown.

**Honzou Bunshin (Plant Clones)**: A technique that utilizes the Yachigusa kekkei genkai. Like any other Bunshinjutsu, this technique creates a clone of the user, except the clone is comprised completely of plants. Also unlike other Bunshinjutsu, where the clone retains a fraction of the user's power, Honzou Bunshin retain the user's full power. Because of this, and the fact that they're made of plants, makes them extremely easy to destroy.

Class: Supplementary  
Type: Plant  
Rank: B

**Yachigusa no Jutsu: Konohakiri Reppū (Variety of Plants Technique: Leaf Blade Gale)**: A technique that utilizes the Yachigusa kekkei genkai. It can't be used without plants in the area. The user surrounds their opponent with leaves and blades of grass, infusing every one with chakra to increase its cutting power. The attack at first starts out moderate, the plants only creating minor cuts. As time elapses, the plants get sharper. The attack can go on as long as the user is concious or has enough chakra to sustain it. By the end of it, the person is so horribly scarred, they usually die from blood loss or the slicing of certain arteries. The attack is inescapable except for a couple of exceptions: the person in the attack is extremely fast, or they somehow dispel the bladed plants.

Class: Offensive  
Type: Plant  
Rank: B

_Question, comments, complaints, criticisms? If any, leave a review!_

_Thanks for reading!_


	13. One Month Later! Chuunin Exam Finals

_A/N: Greetings, all! It's been quite a long absence. Like I've said before, there are a lot of things on my plate as of now, and I only have computer access if I'm doing absolutely nothing. Another reason for the wait was for the planning of this and other fics. So far, **Spirit of Vengeance **has hit a roadblock, and I've thought about discontinuing it, but the plans I have in store for it make it worth keeping. I'll continue the next chapter ASAP, though it will be wise to expect another long waiting period. The next item you'll probably see updated soon will be another chapter for **Vengeance**, though that might not be posted for another few weeks. So, with that being said, I hope you guys don't hate me for these "once in a blue moon" updates. Now, to address some reviews:_

**_bechtel1_**_:__I can see why you think that, but that isn't the purpose of the original bloodline. As for your main concern, just read the chapter... _;)

_**crazymexican**__:__ Sorry to say, but I'm afraid it will be neither. I'm also afraid that's all I can tell you on that issue._

_**Dezzal**: Yeah, I had that same concern, but don't worry. I filled the hole in this chapter, or at least I hope I did._

**_cryptozthunderlord:_**_ Thanks for the suggestion! I think I might use it!..._

**_SFBKludge_**_:__ Yeah, I know that's a wierd occurence, but Kakashi had his reasons, which are addressed in this chapter._

_**KafeiDetour**: No, he wasn't able to obtain it at that time. I didn't want to make it too obvious because I wanted to make the readers think he had gotten it. And will there be any consequences for that incident? No, there won't be, other than the pain and suffering from starvation._

_Now, without further ado...the story!_

_Do enjoy!!_

**

* * *

**

**Chapter 13**

**One Month Later! The Chuunin Exam Finals Begin And…**

* * *

_A month later; Konoha Hospital…_

He opened his eyes.

They felt unusually heavy.

His vision was blurry.

But the room gradually became clearer with each passing minute.

Naruto's eyes were, at last, fully opened, and he blinked ferociously in a futile attempt to clear his slightly deteriorating vision. He was worried, but he didn't know why. He put his hands on his soft, billowy bed and made an effort to lift himself as to rest his aching head on his large pillow.

Afterwards, his eyes scanned the room, eventually coming to observe Jiraiya standing at the door with his arms crossed. Naruto didn't bother to say anything and looked away, knowing what the Sennin was probably going to say. "So, how are you feeling?" he asked.

At those words, the boy glanced back over at Jiraiya. So maybe he couldn't predict what he was going to say next, but it would come eventually. The blond finally interpreted the man's words and, aside from his blurry vision and pounding head, his body felt excellent. "I feel…great," he muttered hesitatingly.

Jiraiya gently closed the door. "What should I make of this? Huh?"

Naruto put on an expression of bafflement. "What the hell are you talking about?"

There was silence, for a few moments. Naruto had come to hate the silence that reverberated throughout his already fucked up life. "ANSWER ME!" he shouted, instantly made livid by the man's silent treatment.

Jiraiya rushed over to Naruto's bed, a finger in his face. "You know exactly what I'm talking about! You left…without telling me! What was I supposed to think happened to you?" His voice was now elevated, and Naruto just hoped that no one could hear their conversation.

The blond truly didn't feel like being bothered, and he wondered why he was even tolerating their talk. "I'm here, I'm alive, and I'm fine. Now can you leave?"

Jiraiya's back became erect as he stood with his arms crossed. He narrowed his eyes as he glared at the boy, suspicion filling the hot air. "What were you doing when you left, Naruto?"

BINGO!

Jiraiya had finally asked the right question just before the blond began wondering when he was going to ask it. The sad part is that Naruto didn't plan on answering it. The boy simply put his hands behind his head and leaned back on his reclined headrest.

"Naruto, if you don't answer me, you're going to make me think you did something terrible…something you shouldn't have."

Worst-case scenario for this situation is Jiraiya tells Sarutobi about Naruto's absence. Then he visit's the boy in person in order to get a response. If he's still silent, then they'll just have to assume he did something that goes against their code, at which point, Sarutobi then has the liability of revoking Naruto's privilege of growing into a shinobi.

He had mostly played out some of the consequences for his actions in his mind, however, none of them ended well for him.

"Okay, Naruto. Let me tell you something else. One of the nurses said she found you lying unconscious on the edge of the village while picking medical herbs. Might I ask what you were doing out there?"

Again, there was a long period of silence as, this time around, it was Jiraiya trying to get an answer. Naruto wasn't ignoring him; he was merely thinking of a response that didn't sound like bullshit.

He smiled, subtly of course. "I was training. I…was practicing some Fūton jutsu when I nearly exhausted my chakra. The next thing I knew, everything went black," he lied.

Jiraiya's expression told the blond that he was now astonished. "Oh…well, I'm glad you're…that dedicated to your training. You must've worked yourself to death. Anyway, we have a lot of work to do and so little time."

"Why is that?"

"Oh, that's right, you don't know. The finals are only a week and a half away."

The blond's eyes immediately bulged. "W-WHAT?" he shouted.

"Shh, keep your voice down. Look, I know you're surprised, but don't worry. With your excellent chakra control and superior reserves, we should be able to get it done maybe…a day before the finals."

"_Damn, I was out for that long. When am I going to adjust to it?"_

"The medics said you're out tomorrow," Jiraiya said as he opened the door. "By the way, I have a special jutsu that I want to teach you, given your large amounts of chakra."

The blond, feeling rejuvenated, could finally feel excited about something, and the thought of a new jutsu especially piqued his interest.

* * *

_Meanwhile, with Kakashi, Sasuke, and Sakura; one of Konoha's training grounds…_

The pink-haired girl observed the Uchiha with a blank expression on her face as he threw several shuriken at a group of training dummies. Kakashi, nearby, upside down on a high branch, and engrossed in his literary favorite, was quite surprised that she was exhibiting control over her salivation glands while watching him. But her face told him that something was bothering him.

She looked up at him just as his eye returned to his book. "Kakashi-sensei, I've been wondering about something. Why are you training Sasuke instead of Naruto? I mean, he is in the finals."

Kakashi flipped his book shut, using Shunshin to instantly appear at her side. "Look, Sakura, I want all of my students to progress at the same level. If I were to only train Naruto, who's already stronger than Sasuke, what good would that do for Sasuke? He wants to be powerful, just like Naruto. I don't treat you all any different than I treat the other. Besides, he asked me to help him in specific areas. Naruto didn't come to me at all so I hired someone else to train him."

Sakura looked back over at Sasuke, who was now firing multiple fireballs at several dummies. "Hmm, well I guess that cleared up some of my worries."

"Some?"

"Truth be told, Kakashi-sensei, I'm deeply scared…for Naruto. I just can't stop worrying about him," she said, lowering her head.

The masked shinobi put a hand on her shoulder. "Naruto is strong…mentally and physically. He can take care of himself, trust me. Like you, he instinctively knows what to do when backed against a wall. You two never give up: Naruto in his fight with Haku and you in your fight with Ino."

"You're…comparing me with Naruto?" she asked, her eyes slightly tearing.

"Sure I am. You guys aren't alike in every aspect, but you two never give in…and when you never give in…to anything…you're truly strong. A little thing called determination."

Sakura nearly began crying, and as Kakashi lectured, she could only think of the three people she drew her inspiration and courage from: Naruto, Sasuke, and Lee. Suddenly, and much to Kakashi's surprise, she wrapped her arms around the Jonin's lean body. "Thanks, Kakashi-sensei. I feel much better!"

Though it didn't look like it, he gleamed down at her as she sniffled in his vest. "Glad I could be the cause of that."

* * *

_The next day; with Naruto and Jiraiya, near the hot pool…_

The gray, larger than average toad hopped into the hot pool nearby. It happily floated on the water's surface, not a care in the world. With that, Jiraiya rose and approached the blond. "Excellent, Naruto! It took a few tries, but that's not the part that amazes me. It's the fact that even with your superior chakra levels, you're still able to use the sufficient amount for summoning and channel it stably."

"So I can officially summon toads?"

"Yep, and remember, you have to release your body's chakra in a moment's notice. Think of yourself as being near death at that instant."

"Alright."

"Let's get a move on! We're not done yet."

* * *

_Meanwhile; Sunagakure; Kazekage's quarters…_

"Good work, Baki. Since the three have advanced to the finals, I presume our deal with Oto is still strong."

Baki then removed the scroll given to him by Kabuto from within his vest. "Here are the plans."

He gave the scroll to the man sitting next to him, and he, in turn, gave it to another man sitting next to the Kazekage. There was a moment of silence as he looked the scroll over to see if it was legit. "Then we'll be counting on you guys when that day comes," the man behind the screen finally said.

Baki glared at his superior with his only visible eye. "Kazekage-sama, might I suggest an alternative? With only four members, including myself, can't we just set up a perimeter around Hi no Kuni and call it an exercise. I mean, at least that way, we'd be able to fool them."

"Are you mad, Baki! Konoha isn't that gullible," he quickly responded. "Their ANBU are already mobilizing, and in doing so, we risk drawing attention. The forces we are allowed to send in are severely restricted, obviously for security and safety measures. That's why we sent Gaara and company. Now, any objections?"

Baki stayed silent and only waited for the Kazekage's words to dismiss him. He lowered his head, his large hat further shrouding his face. "Go."

* * *

_Meanwhile, somewhere in Konoha…_

"Mission, Locate Naruto: success," the bespectacled shinobi said as he appeared next to a shadowed figure.

"Good, so what do you think, Kabuto?"

"Orochimaru-sama, I think Sasuke-"

"Forget it!"

Kabuto cleared his throat. "What I was going to say was…I think Sasuke doesn't quite compare to Naruto. Well, not yet, at least."

"What do you mean?" Orochimaru asked, his narrow, yellowish eyes only able to be seen as he hid in the shadows.

"Well, they both have potential, no doubt about it, but don't you think Sasuke has more potential capacity given his kekkei genkai?"

"No," Orochimaru quickly and straightforwardly responded. "Since I met him in the Forest of Death, I've had my eyes on him. I've had my eyes on Sasuke too. But…there's just something about that Naruto boy that I want. I don't know what it is yet, but I want it."

"I don't understand. His most outstanding ability is only Hyōton. Does he have any other special traits that I don't know about?"

"I'll tell you why I want him instead of Sasuke: while his heart might not be as dark as Sasuke's, he's still superior to him in virtually every aspect. I gave Sasuke that Curse Seal because I thought I wanted him next. I didn't expect any others to suddenly develop. Get it?"

"I understand, Orochimaru-sama."

"Good, then let's split and lay low for awhile and be sure to keep an eye on our new target-"

"Uzumaki Naruto," Kabuto finished as they both vanished in small clouds of smoke.

* * *

_Later that evening; Ichiraku Ramen Bar…_

"Two large bowls of ramen, please. Oh, and extra curry in one of them," the "big-boned" boy said as he approached the counter of, what he coins, his secondary home.

"Comin' right up, Choji!" the middle-aged man said with a wide smile.

As Choji patiently awaited his food, he couldn't help but notice a cloaked figure sitting to his left, practically drowning himself in his bowl of ramen. The person even had their hood almost completely over their face. When he failed to recognize the cloak, he averted his gaze back to the kitchen, which was clearly visible from where he sat.

"Here you go, buddy!" the man said, sliding two large bowls of steaming ramen in front of Choji.

"Thanks, Teuchi," he said, glancing back over at the cloaked figure.

The trench coat the person wore was large and olive green. On the right shoulder, was a plus sign with a snake coiled around it. The hood was extra large and had symbols on it that appeared to be fading away. Ironically, the coat looked brand new.

Teuchi walked over to the mysterious figure, worry written all over the man's face. "Shikamaru, are you feeling okay? You barely touched your ramen."

"I knew it!" Choji blurted.

"Knew what?" Teuchi asked as the one next to him removed his hood. It was definitely his comrade.

"Choji, what're you doing here?"

"Me? I always come here on Friday evenings."

"You two fellas know each other?"

"Yeah, we're teammates," they said simultaneously.

"Well, I'll leave you two alone then," he said, returning to the kitchen.

As he disappeared from view, Shikamaru slowly slurped a noodle, which slapped him repeatedly in the face as he did so. Choji's expression was now one of sympathy. "I believe the question is: what are _you_ doing here?"

"Why the hell do you think, Choji?"

"I honestly don't know," he responded. Unfortunately, Shikamaru couldn't decipher if he was playing around or not. Still, he was glad he could talk to Choji.

He sighed as he dropped his spoon into his bowl. "I got paired with Naruto for the finals. We all now what he can do. Brains just won't be enough to defeat him. After all, this time, I can finally put Asuma-sensei's words of advice to good use."

As Choji listened, he stared blankly into space, thinking back to the team's formation when Asuma gave them his opening speech.

* * *

_Flashback…_

_Remember, fight only if you have something to fight for. That's when you're at your strongest._

_If at all possible, attempt to avoid unnecessary battles._

_And one final thing! If you know full well that your opponent is or may be stronger than you, just flee._

_Remember that! BE SMART!_

* * *

_End flashback…_

"Shikamaru-"

"Tch, I'm fine. That's the last thing I want right now is someone's sympathy, especially someone who lost to that freak of nature, Kiba," Shikamaru said with a grin.

"He-he, at least I didn't run like a little bitch," Choji said, returning with a smirk.

Shikamaru was truly glad to have a friend in Choji. He thought about that as they laughed and enjoyed their continuous rounds of ramen.

* * *

_Nine days later…_

Today, the village was bustling. It was probably the busiest and biggest day Sarutobi had ever witnessed. He stood atop a building with two other shinobi as the Kazekage and others were carried through the gate.

"_For these kids to attract such a number of people…" _the old man thought.

At long last, the seats in the balcony of the arena began filling. Slowly at first, then with more and more people. It was a relatively slow process given the floods of people that filed in. Naruto stared blankly ahead with his eyes hung low. He would be fighting Shikamaru in the first match.

All he could think of was: BORING!

At this point, the entire stadium was in an uproar, and Naruto somewhat took a liking to that kind of attention. The blond looked down at his feet, closely observing the dirt and dust that blew through his toes. _"Oh, Kami, give me a challenge!"_

Hinata took short, continuous glances over at Naruto, who paid no attention to her, or anything for that matter. _"Naruto, I'll be strong…just like you,"_ she thought as she twiddled her fingers.

Baki looked down at the three from Suna, especially observing Gaara's stoic face and low eyelids. He wasn't sure, but he thought Gaara was slightly shaking. _"You'll have your chance. Just remember what you have to do!"_

"Ahh, Kazekage-dono! About time you showed up," Sarutobi said joyously as the Kage of Suna took his seat next to him. "You must be worn out from the journey."

"Not at all, besides, you're one to talk. You should already be deciding on a successor."

With that, Sarutobi slowly rose from his seat and walked to the edge of the balcony. "THANK YOU EVERYONE FOR ATTENDING THE KONOHA CHUUNIN SELECTION EXAM FINAL! IT IS MY HONOR TO INTRODUCE THE PARTICIPANTS!"

The roaring stadium was so loud, that Sarutobi could barely hear himself. Nonetheless, he did his job in quickly getting through the names of the participants. "LET THE MAIN EVENT COMMENCE!"

"Alright, the first match is Naruto and Shikamaru, so the rest of you go up to the balcony," the proctor said.

Shikamaru attempted his best to mask the fear planted on his face. He began shaking, but in a subtle manner. He knew Naruto knew something when the blond's face formed a small grin. "You don't have to act brave."

Shikamaru reluctantly raised his hand, remembering his talk with Choji. "Proctor…I forfeit."

"Alright. Winner!-"

"Wait!"

"Huh, what's Naruto doing?" Sakura asked herself.

"He still wants to fight? But who?" Kiba asked aloud.

"_What's he planning?" _Sarutobi thought.

The Kazekage's eyes widened at Naruto's surprising interjection. He shifted in his seat as to contain the overwhelming feeling of excitement that made its arousal. _"This just got a little more amusing."_

"Not yet. I still want an opponent," Naruto said, his face still stoic.

"Kid, you've won. There's nobody-"

"I want to fight Uchiha Sasuke!" he shouted, turning to Sarutobi's location on the balcony.

With that, the stadium nearly went quiet. It was a surprising twist, indeed. Not one person in the stadium expected such an incident. Sarutobi's eyes widened, smiling afterwards. On the other hand, the Kazekage's eyes remained large as he looked over at Sarutobi and back down at Naruto.

"GIVE HIM SASUKE!" Sarutobi said.

With that, the stadium went into an uproar. Then, as if waiting for just the perfect opportunity, a vortex of leaves formed at center-arena, slowly revealing two figures back-to-back. Naruto grinned at the figures that were Kakashi and Sasuke. Nothing was different about Kakashi, but Sasuke had completely changed his attire. He wore a black, one-piece jumpsuit with a collar that came to his chin. It also still bore the Uchiha clan symbol on the back. _"Finally!" _the blond thought, ready to jump around in excitement.

"Is Sasuke up?" Kakashi asked.

"It just so happens that he is," the proctor replied with a grin.

Using Shunshin, he swiftly appeared on the balcony next to Sarutobi.

"Why so late, Kakashi?"

"I just had to smooth out some of the rough edges."

Like in the prelims, the two were, again, in the same situation. They both stood facing each other, glaring through narrow eyes as killing intent soon began saturating the air. Naruto's mind, though, began to wander. Instead, he began wondering how strong Sasuke had become. Then again, the blond had also come a long way himself…

"BEGIN!" the proctor said.

With that, both went into action as they pulled out shuriken and swiftly threw them at the other, a loud clang echoing through the stadium as the weapons collided. Then, Sasuke was nowhere, reappearing behind the blond faster than ever.

"_What?"_ Naruto thought, backpedaling just as Sasuke's foot swept across where his head had just been.

"_Sasuke's speed has vastly increased since the prelims," _Sarutobi thought.

"_Unbelievable…he looks to be…faster than me," _Lee thought.

He used that opening to throw several more shuriken at Sasuke, who simply leapt into the air to avoid them, throwing shuriken of his own. "Katon: Hōsenka no Jutsu!" (Fire Release: Phoenix Immortal Fire Technique).

The same situation from the prelims with Naruto simply dispelled a combination of ice and snow from his hands, completely rendering the attack useless. "You don't learn do you?"

The Uchiha had suddenly vanished again, reappearing behind Naruto with a kunai at the base of his back. It was then that everything seemed to freeze, even the very sands of time. "I've learned, you dumb-fuck. Have you?" he asked as a thin line of blood slowly crept out of the edge of Naruto's mouth.

Then, he disseminated in a cloud of smoke.

Sasuke's eyes bulged. _"Shit! I should've known!"_

Yet another shadow clone. The moment it vanished, the Uchiha received a powerful kick to his back, sending him tumbling along the rocky ground. With that, the blond leapt into the air and readied his attack. "Hyōyari!" (Ice Spear)

Sasuke swiftly avoided the attack as Naruto's spear collided with the ground, shattering into thousands of miniscule shards at impact. Sasuke was now behind him, and the Uchiha threw several kunai at the back of the unsuspecting boy. Naruto simply crouched, avoiding a swift death.

"You're still too slow, Sasuke," the blond said, suddenly in Sasuke's ear.

"_SHIT! When did he?-"_

Naruto then punched Sasuke in the face with a frozen fist, sending the Uchiha tumbling across the ground yet again. Naruto stood rooted in place as Sasuke slowly rose, the left side of his face partially frozen. He smiled just before going into a fit of laughter. "One month! One month and this is all you have to show for it?"

With that, Sasuke vanished yet again. The blond was motionless, his confident smirk turning into an expression of perplexity. _"Wait! I can't sense his kekkei genkai! What does that mean?"_

As he meditated upon his predicament, he was suddenly stabbed in his heart. A grunt of agony, along with a shower of blood came out of the boy's bloodied mouth, spraying the Uchiha's dirty face. He looked Sasuke in his eyes.

His Sharingan was activated.

"Still too slow…Naruto," he said with a smirk. He then looked down at the kunai that was in his rival's chest, his face clearly portraying shock. _"What the hell? Ice? Damn, he shielded his heart just as I stabbed him. Does that mean…he can react faster than my Sharingan?"_

The blond still managed to speak, uttering his words slowly and articulating every letter. "Mental commands…are faster than physical movements," he said, seemingly reading Sasuke's mind.

"_So is that it? He controls the ice with his mind?"_

"_That's why I couldn't sense his kekkei genkei! He's using it! But why? Why is it doing that now?"_

Sasuke attempted to forcibly extract the weapon from the boy's chest but found it to be quite difficult. Naruto was suddenly angry, judging by the fact that he was now emanating killing intent. He kicked the Uchiha in his gut, sending him flying to the opposite side of the stadium.

"Hyōyari!"

The long spear of ice sliced through the air, quickly approaching Sasuke, whose momentum kept him in the air. The witty boy slammed his feet to the ground, his momentum now causing him to slide along its surface. As he slowed, the spear finally caught up to him, but the swifter Sasuke leaned back, the indestructible weapon only centimeters from his nose. As Sasuke rose, he felt a sharp pain in his shoulder. He looked up at Naruto, who was still, then back down to his shoulder.

"_What the hell…is he?" _he thought as he removed the razor-edged leaf.

"One month!…and this is all _you _have to show for it, Sasuke?" Naruto asked as he raised his hands. "You can do better!"

In an instant, Sasuke found himself pelted with many more leaves, the razor-edged plants now throughout most of his body. _"He can control leaves? Since when?"_

Kakashi stood with his arms crossed, in awe at the power Naruto was displaying. _"Naruto…just how far have you come?"_

Though he didn't show it, Sarutobi was undoubtedly shocked, as well as everyone else that knew the boy. The Kazekage held an unnoticeable smirk all the while.

Sasuke soon began leaping throughout the stadium just to avoid the leaves that were chasing him. They suddenly dropped, every leaf in a straight line in front of him. He glared at Naruto with a slim smirk while emanating killing intent._ "So…that's his limit. He can only control the plants up to 15 meters. Still, keeping the fight long range with him is practically suicide, and he has too many tricks up his sleeve."_

As Sasuke contemplated his strategy, he took his eyes off of Naruto for only a split second, and in that timeframe, the blond was nowhere.

"_FUCK! My Sharingan can't keep up!"_

Sasuke turned on heel, only to discover the blond on the wall behind him. Instead of succumbing to panic, Sasuke merely waited for the boy's next move.

"Jiten Hyōyari!" (Spiraling Ice Spear)

Naruto leapt off the wall, forming ice into a large spear on his adjoined hands. Sasuke had enough time to form the required handseals for his signature jutsu, but knowing that he wouldn't be able to melt through it, he simply leapt out of the way.

Then, everything nearly went black.

Sasuke's eyes bulged as he looked down at the spear of ice that protruded from his ribcage, blood squirting from the entrance and exit wounds. _"Damn, he broke some of my ribs. Naruto…you've gotten good…and it's only been a month."_

Naruto leapt away as the beaten Uchiha fell to the ground. He stared his lifeless body over, and with a mental command, he instantly reverted the ice back to its liquid form. Sasuke eventually managed to stand, activating his curse seal at the same time. "Now…we'll see who's…faster," he said with a grimace of pain.

Then, he was nowhere.

The blond couldn't sense his presence anywhere, and he had no idea of knowing where he would launch his next attack, so he stood in place.

Kakashi finally breathed. _"The curse seal increases his speed ten-fold. If he were to use that speed with his new jutsu…it would be virtually unstoppable."_

However, the blond was one step ahead of his invisible rival, as he began lowering his body temperature until his body became encased in ice. With that, the Kazekage's eyes nearly bulged out of their sockets as he attempted to conceal the wide grin that he just couldn't help but slap on his face. _"Hmm, that boy's just full of surprises."_

Sasuke suddenly appeared a few yards in front of Naruto. They were both motionless, emanating killing intent as they glared at the other through narrowed eyes. The blond one threw several shuriken, and at the same time, a loud, high-pitched chirping began ringing throughout the stadium as the Uchiha disappeared in a cloud of smoke, replaced by a log.

Gai looked over at the masked Jonin. "Kakashi, you taught him your signature jutsu?"

"Raikiri…that's right."

"So that's why you focused on increasing his speed," Gai thought.

"Yep."

Sasuke held tightly to his wrist as his hand released an insurmountable quantity of electricity. The resulting energy engulfed his hand in a bright, bluish light. "Chidori!" he shouted as he charged Naruto, invisible once again.

The blond turned on heel, but not before having Sasuke's electrified hand pierce his chest. Naruto nearly went unconscious but managed to hold on to reality as Sasuke lifted him above his head, his hand still in the boy's body. "You're in my way. Nothing's going to stop me from getting to him; Itachi, I mean. Not even you," he said, observing the blood that trickled down the length of his arm. "My attack came too close to your heart. That fucking ice saved your life once again."

Naruto's eyes were lifeless, but soon, an odd yet familiar presence could soon be felt by every person in the stadium. Sasuke's face suddenly went pale as the lifeless body on his arm jumped to life, shrouded by the all-too familiar red chakra of the Kyuubi.

"_Wh-what the hell? Why is it bubbling?" _Sasuke thought as the blond slowly underwent his transformation.

Sarutobi nearly jumped out of his seat. _"The Kyuubi! He's unleashed it again…but it's different."_

In the next seat, the Kazekage just couldn't seem to stop smiling. _"It's been confirmed; he is the demon child."_

Naruto grabbed Sasuke's arm with a grip that nearly began cutting off his circulation and pulled his arm out of his chest. Once free, the ice covering his body melted, revealing the blond's regenerating wound.

Sasuke flinched at the sudden jump in killing intent. _"He's completely different! He has one tail now too."_

Naruto looked up at the shaken figure that was Sasuke, his crimson eyes emanating more killing intent than Orochimaru during their fight in the forest. "This is it, Sasuke! I will finally have it!"

The Uchiha put on an expression of confusion. "Have what?"

Naruto didn't respond and at some point, Sasuke began generating his lightning-based attack once more. Naruto stood in place, and as soon as Sasuke vanished, he swiftly slammed his palm to the ground, a summoning circle appearing. "Kuchiyose no Jutsu: Onihonzou Toku!" (Summoning Technique: Demon Plants Shield)

With that, abnormally large leaves sprouted from underground and covered the boy that summoned them. Afterwards, there was a commotion in the stadium that nearly became an uproar.

"Kakashi, what's Naruto doing?"

The silver-haired Jonin fixed his gaze on the giant ball of plants that surrounded Naruto. "I wish I knew."

"Since when can Naruto do that?" Kiba blurted.

"_Hmm, this boy is...amazing," _the Kazekage thought, the same smile on his face since the start.

"_Shit, I'm glad I forfeited," _Shikamaru thought.

Sasuke lunged his hand forward, expecting to penetrate the blond's defense.

But to no avail.

A deafening clang resounded throughout the stadium, startling some and confusing others.

"AHHH! FUCK!" Sasuke shouted as he held his hand.

"It sounded like metal," Kakashi said.

Sasuke's fumbling and swearing ceased, observing the cluster of plants in front of him. His breathing was heavy and he knew that soon, he would succumb to fatigue; moving at speeds the way he does uses quite an amount of energy. _"Damn! My hand's broken! FUCK! Why can't I beat him!" _he thought, clenching his teeth in anger.

While he didn't notice it at first, Sasuke observed a small slit began to open on the surface of the plant. He pulled out a kunai, rotating it on his finger before clutching it tightly. "This is it," he breathed.

To his astonishment, as the slit widened, it revealed two sets of razor sharp teeth on both sides of the vertical mouth. Then, before he had time to react, two tentacle-like objects lunged out of the mouth and attached themselves to Sasuke's eyes, slamming him to the ground.

Sasuke found it difficult to remove the tentacles, and even struggle for freedom. "What the fuck is this!" he shouted, attempting to cut the appendages with his kunai, but to much futility.

The Uchiha's body jerked before going entirely stiff. Whatever was happening was quick. Moments later, the tentacles swiftly retracted into the closing mouth. At this point, the stadium was silent. Genma slowly walked over to Sasuke, fumbling the senbon in his mouth. It was then that the leaves finally wilted, revealing the barely conscious figure of Naruto.

Genma observed Sasuke's lifeless eyes as he put his fingers to the boy's neck. _"Damn, he's dead. I should've stopped it sooner."_

There was a soft commotion before two medic-nin appeared, carrying a stretcher. Genma said something to them before they rushed out of sight, carrying Sasuke.

"Oh no, is he going to be okay?" Sakura asked Ino.

"I hope so," she responded.

Sakura averted her gaze to the still clouds that hung in the sky. _"This is exactly what I was afraid of."_

"Winner of the finals first round: Uzumaki Naruto!"

With that, the stadium went into an uproar, though the blond wished they would all just shut up. He didn't care about winning anymore.

Because he had already got what he wanted.

As he made his way up to the balcony, he knew it would return, and finally began to face the reality.

The reality that he now had a purpose in life, a different purpose.

The Kyuubi had been right all along.

He had to kill to live…

* * *

_A/N: Damn, that was fun, even though it took me five years to type. Anyway, the purpose of this author note is to once again address the fact that there will be quite a long waiting period between chapters. Oh, and another thing, I'm currently rewriting another one of my fics, **Shaman Detective**, which is another reason why I won't be updating frequently. Well, for what it's worth, I hoped you enjoyed!_

**Jutsu Index**

**Kuchiyose no Jutsu: Onihonzou Toku (Summoning Technique: Demon Plants Shield):** A summoning technique exclusive only to users of Yachigusa. Without the use of scrolls or any blood contracts, the user simply slams their palm to the floor while releasing a large amount of chakra at the same time to initiate the summon. Once activated, the user is surrounded by plants from Makai that harden as a defense machanism. When hardened, the leaves are harder than steel, and can withstand most brute attacks, even Sasuke's Chidori. On the downside, plants summoned from Makai need a large amount of chakra to sustain them, otherwise they wilt and die. The plants, held in our realm by the use of chakra, feed off the energy, and if anything should happen to the user, such as loss of conciousness or life, they too will die.

Class: Defensive  
Type: Plant  
Rank: A

_Questions, comments, complaints, criticisms? If any, leave a review!_

_Thanks for reading!_


	14. A Shinobi Alone

_A/N: Hello, all! It certainly is good to be back! It took freakin' forever to type this damn chapter though. I would've had it posted a couple of days ago, but I've just been too busy, and my parents want to constantly use the computer. Well, though my computer time has been severly reduced, I'm trying to get as much done as possible. Like last night while I was lying in the bed, I suddenly thought up a new Juken technique for Neji that will be added to his attack list for all of my future Naruto fics. Hint? Watch Kill Bill..._

_Now, to address some reviews..._

**_cryptozthunderlord_**_: Thanks for the suggestion, and while Naruto will be doing training, it won't be with Jiraiya, or anybody from Konoha for that matter. As for going after the Byakugan, it won't happen. I decided not to have him use two dojutsu at once so I could maintain a little realism. And while I don't plan on having him join Akatsuki, it still is a good option._

_**Dezzal**: Yeah, about that; I tried to make it a little obvious in his fight with Sasuke. During the fight, Naruto was experiencing his usual hunger symptoms, which explained his obsession for Sasuke's Sharingan and his high tolerance for pain. When he's not experiencing the symptoms, he can feel pain like a normal person._

_Best not to keep you waiting..._

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* * *

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**Chapter 14**

**A Shinobi Alone**

The blazing heat of the sun.

The riotous screams of the people in the stands.

The constant emptiness and hunger.

Naruto couldn't stand them, but his list of stressors went on. He found that he could also no longer understand the workings of his kekkei genkai, nor did he want to, especially since it spontaneously evolved during his fight with Sasuke. He put his trust into his kekkei genkai for so long, now it seemed as if that line of trust had begun to wear thin. That's the thing about Hittakuru; Naruto had no idea of knowing what it was going to do next.

The blond secluded himself from the other Genin as the next match of the finals proceeded. He leaned over the sturdy guardrail, soothed by the revitalizing touch of a brief, gentle breeze. He closed his eyes; it was a slightly tense situation, for him, at least. The pain and hunger symptoms of his kekkei genkai had yet to return, but he knew full well that they eventually would. Ironically, that's what scared the boy the most.

He blinked hard, snapping back to reality and quickly realizing that he had just killed Sasuke in the prior match, his best friend and worst enemy. At first, he almost couldn't believe he had accomplished such a feat. Then, the boy's face formed a clever smile as he reveled the moment in his lonesome. _"Where's the offspring of Konoha's favorite fucking clan now?"_

As his mind wandered more and more from his achievement, he began to ponder the consequences for his actions. He did, after all, kill one of his teammates. What would happen to him? Would he be banished? Would he be sentenced to death? Was there the possibility that he would never be a shinobi again? These questions and more ran through his head as he took to devouring his cuticles.

He wasn't afraid of what would happen to him, he was afraid of not knowing what would happen to him. It's comparable to being sentenced to death and not knowing what they were going to do to you.

He was pulled back into reality when he saw the figure of Shikamaru in his peripheral vision, standing next to him and also leaning over the railing. The blond stayed silent, as he didn't want to be bothered by anyone, especially by the shinobi that was scheduled to fight him but instead forfeited.

Shikamaru exhaled. "You know, Naruto, you're a pretty impressive fighter. No, more than an impressive fighter. There's no way I would've been able to stand up to you. You know that…hell, we all know that."

Naruto now averted his attention to the cloud filled sky, seemingly ignoring his peer.

He exhaled again as he shifted himself. Naruto easily decoded that something was making him uncomfortable, and he knew what it was. "Umm, look…Neji said that you… uhh…killed Sasuke. I mean, he would know because of his Byakugan, but don't worry, he only told me since I was supposed to have been your opponent."

The blond hung his head as his already ruffled hair danced in the wind. He opened his mouth, attempting to form comprehensible words. "What's going to happen?" he asked, clearing his throat.

Shikamaru was hesitant in his response. Naruto knew it wasn't good. "Well, according to Neji, once word reaches Hokage, Sasuke will be given proper burial after the finals, so everyone can attend. As for you?…who knows?"

"What?"

"Well, it's assumed that since you-"

"No, no! Fuck the assume shit! You came over here to tell me all of that, and you don't even know what's going to happen to me?"

Shikamaru was slightly taken aback by Naruto's aggressive response. The blond, sensing this, heaved a heavy sigh and calmed himself. "Sorry about that. It's just…I just…I didn't want to kill him, Shikamaru."

He placed a hand on the blond's shoulder. "Look, the consequences will be severe, but you have to understand that that's a huge part of being a shinobi. We all have to understand that. We're all going to have to kill some point in our lives. They just don't want it to happen between shinobi of the same village, especially if they're on the same team."

"Yeah," the blond breathed as he hung his head.

"So I'm willing to do something for you: if the Hokage revokes your ninja license, I'll have him revoke mine too."

"What?"

"Hey, it's the least I can do for upsetting you awhile ago."

"That's crazy. You don't have to do that…not for me," Naruto said, feeling somewhat sympathetic.

"But I will, and guess what? You're my friend, and friends stick together, despite the fact that you killed you're friend…and I know you didn't mean to, that's why I'm doing this."

Naruto's eyes were now grief stricken, and his face was the epitome of sadness and guilt. The truth was that he meant to kill him. The boy had actually been planning it for quite some time. He looked down to the floor as old memories began resurfacing about Sasuke. "He wasn't my friend…he was my brother."

* * *

The two Genin looked the other in the eyes, attempting to surpass the other's killing intent, Gaara seemingly releasing the most. Neji could still see in his eyes that there was a bloodlust, though he failed to show it in his body language. Both figures remained stoic and devoid of any other emotional or physical signal that would otherwise give away weakness.

Neji looked Gaara over and finally spoke, pronouncing his words with utmost propriety. "You want an opponent to match you? Well, looks like that ridiculous looking gourd is filled with luck too," he said, his face still apathetic.

"BEGIN!"

Neji immediately went into action, throwing several shuriken before charging his stationary opponent. Gaara's sand protected him from the projectiles, but Neji was now behind him, ready to press his tenketsu. Again, his sand was there to stop him as Neji went in for a strike with his first two fingers. _"Damn! His sand is everywhere! How do I stop it if it protects him no matter what?"_

The sand, beginning to cut off circulation in the Hyuuga's arm, slung him in the opposite direction. He quickly regained composure as he slid across the hot, graveled ground. Now on his feet, he stood erect and, once again, looked over his opponent as he meditated a strategy. _"I'm not fast enough to penetrate that defense. The only other Genin in Konoha that fast is Lee, though I hate to say it. Now, if I'm going to beat him, I have to somehow become faster than that damn sand…which, at the moment, doesn't seem possible. I've gotten faster…but not that fast."_

Gaara stood straight and motionless, glaring at Neji through narrowed eyes as he slowly licked his lips.

"_Damn…that look in his eyes…it's starting to get to me," _Neji thought, attempting to suppress his surfacing fear.

Neji quickly noticed that Gaara shifted his eyes' focus on something behind him, and he turned on heel, restrained in a chokehold by one of his sand clones. Neji tried slicing the clone's outstretched appendage, but to no avail. The sand simply regenerated within moments of being dispersed.

"_Shit! There's nothing I can do!" _the defenseless Hyuuga thought as he slowly slipped into unconsciousness.

However, he noticed that the clone had made a crucial mistake: it let his feet touch the ground, and in doing so, Neji was able to initiate his Hakkeshō Kaiten (Eight Trigrams Palms Heavenly Spin), which completely destroyed the clone. Breathing heavily, the silver-eyed boy took the time to observe his opponent as he, again, contemplated a strategy.

"_He's just standing there. I'm wasting energy fighting his damn sand clones. We can't have distance between us; he's a long-range fighter."_

With that, Neji charged Gaara while forming a handseal as inconspicuously as he could.

"_He's planning on fighting Gaara close range. He must have a strategy." _Kankuro thought.

Gaara, in reaction to Neji's decision to charge him, raised his hands, commanding the sand out of his gourd to attack the charging target. As the sand made its way through the air, it multiplied and compacted, the balls of sand now taking the form of senbon. Gaara's eyes bulged and his visage formed a maniacal grin as Neji was hit with every sand senbon. With that, his form vanished in a cloud of smoke as a log simultaneously dropped from the visual obstruction.

"_Smart move," _Kankuro thought. _"but it won't be enough."_

Neji was suddenly behind Gaara, attacking him with a series of lightning fast strikes that he couldn't seem to connect, thanks to his opponent's omnipotent and impenetrable sand. Gaara was still motionless, his maniacal grin widened to a large smile as his sand blocked every one of Neji's strikes. Annoyed, the strikes began getting harder and faster, as noticed by Gaara.

"That's right. Use your anger…channel it…because it will be your most important weapon against me," Gaara said, smiling down at the livid Hyuuga with arms crossed.

After several minutes, the strikes finally died down, and Neji stood in the same spot, breathing heavily as he looked his opponent in the eyes. "Why won't you fight? Are you afraid?"

"I have a job to do, and I won't waste time and energy fighting you."

"What are you talking about?"

With that, Neji felt a surge of killing intent as Gaara raised his hands and launched Neji in the opposite direction with a powerful surge of sand. Afterwards, Gaara formed a handseal as his sand encircled him, compacted, and eventually hardened.

"It's begun," Baki said silently.

"He'll never be able to penetrate that defense," Kankuro said inaudibly.

"What the hell?" Neji asked as he rose, pulling out two shuriken and whipping them at the mysterious ball of sand, both of which only ricocheted off. "Damn, just as I thought, it will be difficult trying to get through that."

Ten-Ten sighed. _"He'll find a way. I know he can."_

"_He won't find a way through," _Temari thought as a smirk became visible on her face.

Neji approached the ball of sand with an air of calm poise. "This is my last option. If this doesn't work then I don't know what will."

"_Looks like Neji's going to do it," _Ten-Ten thought.

* * *

_Meanwhile; stadium infirmary…_

"So, cause of death?" a tall, dark-haired male medic-nin asked another as he stepped through the door.

The other, slightly shorter and also a dark-haired male, looked up from his clipboard and shrugged his broad shoulders. "That's the thing, we don't know as of yet."

They all had dark hair and were clad in white uniforms, large, red crosses stamped on the front of their chin-high-collar coats.

Another, somewhat pale in complexion, rose after examining the lifeless body of the Uchiha. "Well, there are no physical wounds to suggest he died at the hands of any conventional weapons. Perhaps it could be something internal, like a heart attack."

"At this young of an age? Plus, he doesn't have a history of any medical problems to support that," the short one responded.

"So are you telling me we can't even _guess_ his cause of death?" the tall one asked.

The other two stopped what they were doing and simply looked at him as if the boy's death was a complete mystery, which, to them, was.

"I'll take that as a no."

* * *

The air was hot and dry, as now noticed by a worried Naruto. Neji, retaining his relaxed demeanor, took a deep breath as he closed his eyes for a brief moment before reopening them. "You're in my field of Hakke," Neji said as he assumed his signature Jūken stance. "Hakke Rokujūyon Shō!" (Eight Trigrams Sixty Four Palms)

"What? That's impossible!" Hiashi blurted. "He's only a branch member…for him to be able to use Hakke…"

With that, Neji began the series of strikes that gradually became faster and stronger, the sand barrier, unfortunately for him, holding up quite well against his strongest attack. _"Damn, this isn't going too well for me, and I don't know what's going to come out when he's done doing whatever he's doing," _he thought as he finished his attack with a 64 palm strike.

"_Hmph! I knew he couldn't do it!" _Kankuro thought with a smug expression.

Neji's eyes bulged, and he leapt a few feet back just as spears protruded from the Sphere of Sand. _"So it also has offensive capabilities," _he thought as the wind howled through the stadium.

Ten-Ten slumped in her seat, the prospect of Neji's loss hitting her in the face. _"This can't be!…it shouldn't have held up! His hands are saturated with chakra for the duration of the attack, the reason why he's able to press tenketsu. In this case, he should've penetrated that defense. Unless…it's an absolute defense…like Hakkeshō Kaiten."_

It was then that the strangest of atmospheric phenomena occurred, the silver feathers that slowly fell from the sky concentrated mostly around the balconies and spectator seats. Most of the Jonin, such as Kakashi and Gai, quickly noticed, with Chuunin soon realizing it was raining feathers. Some of the Genin didn't realize what was going on until they were put to sleep. Naruto looked around him as many of the spectators fell prey to the attack, either slumping or falling out of their seats.

On the other hand, many of the Jonin formed a single handseal, thus rendering the sleep-inducing feathers useless.

"Kakashi-" Gai said.

"This is a genjutsu," the masked one finished. "Kai!" they both then said in unison.

Sakura followed suit, being well versed in genjutsu deflection and shinobi tactics. _"What's going on?"_

Sarutobi looked over at the Yondaime Kazekage and found that he was staring back at him. The old man couldn't figure out what exactly was going on, but he knew the Yondaime was behind it, his assumption confirmed true when he pulled out a capsule that exploded in a cloud of smoke upon contact with the ground.

After that, pure chaos ensued, with shinobi in ANBU masks mercilessly killing innocent bystanders as well as anyone else that got in their way. The cries and screams of defenseless women and children filled the hot, humid air. The Yondaime and Sarutobi flew out of the cloud of smoke, the old man being held in a chokehold at kunai-point.

"Get that man!" a shinobi wearing an ANBU mask said, leading two other shinobi.

With a command from the Yondaime, the four mysterious shinobi at the four corners of the roof formed a single handseal. "Ninpou: Shishienjin!" (Ninja Art: Four Violet Flames Battle Encampment) they yelled in unison.

With that, a glossy wall, purple in hue, rose from the roof. One of the shinobi jumped into the wall, attempting to break through it with brute force, however, things didn't go quite as planned, when the shinobi suddenly burst into purple flames that quickly silenced his shrill screams.

"You know, Sarutobi-sensei, I don't really have the desire to kill you…at least not at the moment."

Sarutobi's eyes widened in shock, realizing his former student had been impersonating the Yondaime Kazekage all along and had also been behind the invasion. "Orochimaru, if you didn't come here to kill me, then what did you come here for?"

"Hm-hm, let's just say my Kage Bunshin will take care of it," he responded with a slim smirk.

* * *

_Meanwhile; stadium infirmary…_

"Excuse me, but you aren't supposed to be in here!" one of the medic-nins shouted as the frightening figure of Orochimaru slowly crossed the wooden threshold.

The nuke-nin raised his right arm, releasing numerous concealed snakes that fiercely attacked the throats of his three targets, splattering blood over the area of most of the snow white room, including Sasuke. "You're coming with me, boy," he said as he lifted his flaccid body into his arms.

"It looks like our work here is done. Don't worry, I'll be back."

"What do you want with him, Orochimaru? He's been injured in his last match!"

"I know that, old man! I was sitting right next to you! But…I believe the Uchiha can get me what I want."

"And what is that?"

That being said, Orochimaru vanished in a small cloud of smoke, along with the four shinobi that stood at the corners. With that, the wall of otherworldly purple flame retracted back into the roof.

"Hokage-sama, are you okay?" a shinobi in an ANBU mask asked.

"I'm fine. Check in and around the infirmary for any trace of Orochimaru, then one of you report back to me."

"Yes, Hokage-sama!"

* * *

Meanwhile, at center-arena, the Sphere of Sand began vibrating, slowly breaking down in the process. Kakashi noticed this and generated his signature attack.

"Kakashi, what're you doing?" Gai asked.

"I'm going to stop him!"

The masked Jonin charged the Sphere of Sand with his lightning infused hand reared back. In striking distance, he brought his hand forward, slamming it as forcibly into the ball as he could.

"_It worked," _Gai thought.

Like Neji, Kakashi managed to closely avoid the spears that suddenly protruded from the ball, and within moments, the hardened sand began to slowly deteriorate with the trembling figure of Gaara coming into view.

"Get away from him!" Baki shouted, throwing a kunai at his back.

Genma took action in protecting his comrade, spitting the senbon out of his mouth at high speed and deflecting the kunai intended to incapacitate the masked one. Kankuro and Temari jumped down from the balcony and took a stand next to Baki.

"Temari, Kankuro, you two take Gaara and get out of here!"

"Damn, we can't continue now?" Kankuro asked.

"And he's experiencing the symptoms!" Temari said.

"We have no choice but to retreat! Now go!"

The Suna siblings leapt over the wall of the stadium and disappeared from view. Genma turned to Kakashi and Gai, his face austere and inert. "You guys help defend Konoha. I'll take care of this guy," he said as he put another senbon into his mouth.

Kakashi later appeared next to a crouched and frightened Sakura, lifting her by her arm. "Sakura, release the genjutsu on Naruto and Shikamaru-"

"Kakashi-sensei, Naruto isn't here!"

"Where did he go?"

"I don't know!" she shouted before bursting into tears.

"Damn! Gai, we have to send out two squads: one to find and retrieve Naruto and another to go after Gaara!"

"We just don't have enough people Kakashi!"

"Alright, Sakura, release the genjutsu on all of the Genin and split them into two teams like this: Shikamaru, Kiba, Neji and Choji go after Naruto. You, Ino, Hinata, Ten-Ten, Shino, and Lee go after Gaara."

"Yes, Kakashi-sensei."

"Kuchiyose no Jutsu!" Kakashi shouted as a small dog came into view from behind the small cloud of smoke. "His name is Pakkun, and he'll help track down Gaara by scent."

* * *

_Half an hour later, with Sakura's squad…_

Sakura appeared before the Suna group, accompanied by Pakkun. It was hot, though an occasional breeze created a blanket of light coolness that enveloped the searing bodies of the Genin.

"Fuck," Kankuro said under his breath. "Temari, take Gaara and get out of here," he said as he took his puppet off his back.

As Temari turned to leave, Lee jumped from an overhead branch and stood next to Sakura.

"Lee-" Sakura said quietly, her eyes slightly tearing over as she stared Lee in his.

"Don't let me be the cause of your worries, Sakura. I can most definitely take care of myself."

As the rest left, Kankuro unwound the bandages on his puppet, revealing a wooden, humanoid toy with long, black hair clad in a torn black sheet. With that, Lee assumed his taijutsu pose, excited that he finally had an opponent.

* * *

_Meanwhile, with Shikamaru's squad…_

"Kiba, do you have his scent yet?" Shikamaru asked as the Genin leapt from branch to branch.

"Yeah! He's dead ahead!"

"Naruto! Stop for a second!" Shikamaru called at the top of his lungs.

A few minutes after his call for Naruto, the group finally caught up to the now stationary blond. He was standing, his arms at his sides however, the killing intent he was emanating saturated the air and began to become uncomfortable for some.

"_Why's he releasing killing intent? This isn't Naruto," _Neji thought.

Naruto looked into the eyes of every one in the group. "What's this?" he asked, a confused expression on his face. "Who sent you guys after me?"

"That doesn't matter, Naruto. You don't have to do this," Shikamaru said softly, attempting to console the blond. "Just come back with us."

There was a moment of silence as Naruto meditated upon his predicament. He knew it was a lose-lose situation, but he decided to go down his own path.

Neji stepped forward. "Look, Naruto, you either come back to Konoha and lose your ninja license, or leave…and be branded a nuke-nin wi-"

"Who said I wasn't coming back?" Naruto interrupted.

"You have a secret, Naruto. We don't know what it is, but we all know you're keeping things to yourself. How can you expect anyone to help you if you don't tell anyone about your problems?"

"Wait, Naruto has a secret?" Chouji asked.

The blond gazed down at his feet as he heaved a heavy sigh. "I don't think any of you would want to know about my problems. There's nothing any of you can do for me anyway, so just go back to the village…all of you."

"That's not our mission," Kiba said. "Our mission is to bring you back safely."

"Naruto, remember what I told you earlier," Shikamaru said.

The boy's eyes were suddenly filled with sadness, like they had been when he spoke with Shikamaru. "I'm sorry, Shikamaru…everyone…I'm sorry…I won't be coming back. I have my reasons."

"You know what that means, right, Naruto?" Neji asked.

Naruto's eyes suddenly bulged, and he looked down at his feet, only to see Shikamaru's shadow connected to his. The slim shadow twisted and turned around the trees between them, all the while still in the shadows.

"Now you have no choice but to come back with us," Shikamaru said with a smirk.

* * *

_Meanwhile, with Lee…_

Kankuro's signature puppet, Crow, made a beeline for Lee, who stood ready to counterattack. From within its arm, it unsheathed a poison tipped blade, Lee dodging it by mere inches. It then lifted its head and upon opening it mouth, released two poison tipped kunai. Lee jumped between them, doing a split in midair while lowering his head as to avoid the higher one.

"_Damn, this kid's fast."_

Lee was suddenly nowhere and his opponent received a swift, powerful kick to his back, sending him flying to the opposite branch. Then, with a flick of Kankuro's wrist, Crow's arm opened, and before Lee could figure out what it was, a projectile was blasted his way. Again, Lee was nowhere, reappearing behind Kankuro in a crouched position.

"This is it!" he said as he kicked him into the air, sending his puppet with him.

He then reappeared behind the airborne Kankuro before wrapping his bandages around him.

"_Damn, there's nothing I can do. Crow and I are completely tied."_

"Have a taste of my Omote Renge!" Lee shouted as they made their way to the ground at high speed, even crashing through the thickest of branches along the way.

They crashed into the ground with terrifying force, simultaneously kicking up a large cloud of dirt and dust. When it finally dispersed, Lee could see the battered, unmoving body of Kankuro embedded in the dirt of the forest floor.

* * *

_Meanwhile, back in Konoha…_

"Sakura! What're you all doing back here?" Kakashi asked.

"We lost them, Kakashi-sensei. They got too far away, but Lee took care of the "Puppet Boy," Sakura said, practically panting.

"Well, that's good news," Kakashi said, somewhat relieved.

Neji, Choji, Kiba, and Shikamaru appeared, Naruto following closely behind Shikamaru. Some jumped at the sight of the blond, and Kakashi's visible eye bulged as he approached the group that had just arrived. "Good job, everyone," he said as he looked them over. He then approached Naruto, enveloped in an air of austerity. "Naruto, what did you plan to achieve by leaving?"

There was a brief moment of silence as he stood apparently pondering some sort of answer. The Genin looked around at each other as the blond stood in a cold sweat.

"Naruto, it's ok-" Shikamaru said, placing a hand on his shoulder.

Sakura gasped, Chouji flinched, Shikamaru took a step back, and everyone else remained stoic as the boy vanished within the sudden appearance of a cloud.

"Damn! It was a clone!" Kakashi exclaimed. "He's still out there…somewhere."

Kakashi took a glance over at Gai, who approached the group with a reassuring smile. "You all have to know that in the future, you will be the ones who will have to stop him. There's no telling what could become of him."

"But I spoke with him during the Finals; he didn't mean to kill Sasuke!" Shikamaru said.

With that statement, time seemed to freeze. Not only did any of them know of the boy's unstable mental and emotional condition, they would never have known he killed Sasuke had it not been for Shikamaru and his talk with Naruto, that revealed some insight into his mental state and rivalry with Sasuke.

Gai's visage was suddenly serious upon hearing the depressing news. "All the more reason for him to be hunted down and ultimately killed."

"While I don't disagree with the decision to track down Naruto, I have to add that Sasuke somewhat belonged to Orochimaru anyway, due to the-" Kakashi said.

"But he was able to exhibit proficient control over the Curse Seal, was he not?" Gai countered.

"True, he has."

"Now you all stay with and protect each other. Kakashi and I are going to rejoin the others."

* * *

_Meanwhile, undetermined location; with Naruto…_

The sun was beginning to set, the sky turning a flamboyant orange with red streaks that were perpendicular to the horizon.

He was hungry.

Lonely.

But the only person he had was himself…

And the Kyuubi.

Everywhere he stepped, the blue chill of ice followed, freezing everything within about a ten foot radius of the boy. He figured that he could be easily tracked, and he attempted to calm himself so he could avoid that. Soon, he realized he was talking to himself or perhaps the Kyuubi, but either way, he was talking to himself. He didn't really know what he was talking about or who he was talking to.

"I've finally figured out my purpose. I don't want to kill, but that fucking hunger makes me want to rip someone's head off. It hasn't come yet, but when it does, anyone who gets in my way is going to be killed."

* * *

_A/N: Well, how's that for thr latest installment of **Leech**? I thought it was alright up until the middle to end, where I rushed the hell out of the story. That was just because I wanted to get it posted so I wouldn't have to worry about it. Anyway, hoped you enjoyed it!_

_Questions, comments, complains, criticisms? If any, leave a review!_


	15. Timeskip, The Legendary Plant Wielder

_A/N: Hello, all and welcome back to the latest chapter of **Naruto: The Leech**! Well, unlike most of the other chapters, this one didn't take me too long since I've been working on it at a rather brisk pace. Anyway, this chapter and the next will serve as the fic's timeskip. Much like canon it will go back in time but focus on a non-canon clan, showing the Yachigusa kekkei genkai and its users more indepth. Now, to address some concerns:_

_**Dezzal:** Having Naruto join forces with Orochimaru probably would've worked out before he became obssessed with the blond. He only wants Naruto now for what he possesses inside of him. They could've been uneasy allies, much like Orochimaru and Sasuke, but his hunger would just get the best of him._

_**bechtel1:** Since Sasuke died just moments after Naruto leeched his Sharingan, that would indeed mean it evolved as soon as he obtained it. Further details on its usage will be given after the timeskip._

_**cryptozthunderlord:**_ _I don't know about the whole summoning contract thing, especially since he can summon toads and demon plants. And yes, there is a rather high chance that he will have to visit other villages in his quest for more kekkei genkai._

_**XblackshadowX:** Well, Orochimaru is no longer after Sasuke, as he and Kabuto discussed in Ch. 13. Besides, Naruto now having the Sharingan gives Orochimaru all the more reason to go after him._

_**aquamewblast:** That's the thing, he won't become Hokage and he probably never will. And yes, his unstable mind and hunger did cause him to give it up._

_**APC:**_ _see **bechtel1 **above._

**OOPS!: **I made a mistake in chapter 12 but was too lazy to correct then. The matchups for the finals said KIBA VS. GAARA. It was supposed to be NEJI VS. GAARA.

_Now, without further ado, the main event..._

**

* * *

**

**Chapter 15**

**The Legendary Plant Wielder**

It was a hot, bright, cloudless day in Konohagakure no Sato. However, this story doesn't take place in the village, and doesn't revolve around any civilian or shinobi from it. On the outskirts of the village, where no human body has ever traveled, was a large, attractive pagoda-like building. Its oriental designs and creative pillar carvings added to the serene atmosphere of the surrounding forest.

The carvings strangely depicted what looked to be various plant life, with images of humans worshipping the sacred flora. The forest green walls and vine covered roof tiling disguised the building almost perfectly into the forest.

Two white clothed figures soon emerged from within, the taller figure ruffling the red-orange hair of the shorter one. The taller figure's hair was also a tinge of red that draped down and stopped at his shoulders, though not as dark as the shorter one's hair. His face was relatively smooth, though one couldn't tell due to the overabundance of facial hair, but it wasn't thick. The small one's hair also draped down to his shoulders, though it was much more untidy.

"Are you ready for another day of hard training, Shiore?"

The boy named Shiore Minamino took a deep breath as he hesitated his response. "Of course, Father."

It wasn't a long walk to get to the training grounds. In fact, the training grounds were seldom used considering how far one had to walk just to get to it. Therefore, they had virtually unlimited access to it. In addition, it was much larger than the training grounds in Konoha, and for some reason, it was covered with plants, so much that it had eventually took the appearance of a forest clearing with several training dummies about.

The father, whose name was Sho Minamino, turned to Shiore and placed his hands on his son's shoulders, looking him in his light blue eyes. "Look, Shiore, you've made great progress, but you still need more practice."

"But Father, I'm ready! Please!"

His father didn't seem to buy into Shiore's pleas, maintaining the same serious, inert expression he had on his face the day Shiore was brought into the world. "Ready for what?"

There was a brief silence, the redhead staring down at his feet as he, again, found himself contemplated a response. He knew what to say, he just didn't know how to say it. He exhaled after minutes of silence, salivating his slightly chapped lips. "I'm ready to protect Mother," he said softly. "Just take me on one mission with you, Father."

His father put his hands on his hips and looked at his son as if he would consider the option. "Look, I understand that you want to help, but our ability isn't something that should be taken for granted. What I mean is that while you do have proficient control over it for someone your age, there's still room for improvement. It's just too much of a risk."

Shiore slowly lowered his head in disappointment.

"Which is why I'm going to strike a deal with you, Son: if you can hit me, then you can come with me on my next mission."

His son's head sprung up as he gleamed with joy at those words. He was undoubtedly surprised, but then again, he did have to prove himself worthy before he could do anything that deemed him heroic in any way. "Father, are you-?"

"Don't worry about me. Just come at me with everything you've got."

* * *

_Meanwhile…_

The tall, slim figure managed to avoid a swift roundhouse kick by sliding underneath it, delivering a kick of his own to the man's gut, knocking him into another and sending them both into a nearby tree. The three men were all dressed in black one-piece jumpsuits with long black boots. The tall one was clad in a traditional Japanese white robe, though it was stained with many blood spots, and he had spiky, dark red hair.

His name was Shin, and he was quite busy, fighting three powerful shinobi at once. Reason being was because he was on an A-rank mission to protect a caravan of supplies coming into Konoha.

The young man had a very good reason for what he considered "being a good boy." Besides, this was his fifth mission in two days. Right now, you're probably wondering what his reasons were.

Of course, it was for the money, but that wasn't the big picture.

He took missions, fought, and risked his life almost everyday, steadily collecting Ryō to save his mother's life. She's not only constantly bed-ridden, but she's also steadily losing vitality with each passing second due to an extremely rare degenerative disease, and the operation that would merely delay it for some time was extremely expensive.

He absolutely hated seeing her in her current condition, and he anxiously awaited the day when he could touch her, even hug her again. He couldn't even look at her; how could he talk to her and tell her how he felt? Therefore, he remained silent, though he was quite an outspoken boy before his mother contracted the disease.

Shin snapped back to reality only to find that the three shinobi still weren't down and, in fact, they all decided to charge him simultaneously. He quickly went into action, pulling a kunai from the holster on his waist. Leaping into the air as the three men got into striking distance, he kicked one of them in the head, slicing another across the eye that bled immediately. The remaining one received a swift sweeping kick that put him flat on his back. The one that received the kick to the head unsheathed his katana and swung it at the redhead in an attempt to decapitate him.

However, it was for naught, the young man simply blocking the blade with his right hand. A thin line of blood slowly crawled down the length of his arm from the point of contact as he glared at the man with killing intent. The redhead disarmed his opponent in a blinding display of hand movement, piercing the chest of the one on his back as he rose to his feet. The man that was sliced across the eye had finally recuperated and leapt into the air with kunai in hand. The one directly in front of the redhead followed suit, so that they both came at him simultaneously.

It was then that the unexpected happened. Both men were grabbed by vines, the tentacle-like objects wrapping themselves around their necks. They struggled for their lives, one of them attempting to cut the vine with a kunai, but to no avail. With every movement, the vines' grip seemed to tighten, slowly depriving the men of oxygen. After a couple of minutes, their bodies were finally still and lifeless.

Shin looked up above him, examining the bodies before focusing his attention on the canopy with a smile. "Thanks," he said with a wink and a saluting gesture.

* * *

_Meanwhile, with Shiore and his father; unused training ground…_

Shiore quickly ducked under a large vine, bringing his hands forward and sending a needle-point vine of his own at his father's gut. The man jumped into the air and landed gently onto the vine, avoiding a severe injury.

"I see improvement. You've decided to read my movements today," his father stated.

"Well, I learned from the best," Shiore said as another vine was whipped at his father's legs.

He ran up the length of his son's vine, jumping again, and twisting in midair to avoid the thick vine that otherwise would've probably sent him through a tree in addition to breaking a few bones. _"What's with him today? His control is much more refined from just days ago. I must say…I'm impressed."_

Sho, still airborne, brought his hands forward, sending millions of leaves in his son's direction. Shiore attempted to block them with his vines, but he couldn't get every one, and was struck many times in both legs and parts of his neck.

"Father, what just happened? You always attacked with vines," the boy said as he rubbed just one of many cuts on his neck.

"This fight is part of your Yachigusa (Variety of Plants) training. We can attack with _all _plant life, not just vines. You control the leaves in the exact same manner you would control the vines. Do you know how you infuse your chakra into a vine to increase its piercing power?"

"Yes."

"Well, you do the same for the leaves, except instead of infusing it into a single object, you're infusing it into many, therefore, if you want the full effect, you have to distribute your chakra evenly into each leaf, otherwise you'll just be throwing regular leaves at your opponent, and that won't do you any good in an actual fight. Now, back to ours."

With that, the two charged each other and began engaging in taijutsu combat. Though they didn't have the fastest hands, or perhaps even the strongest, they were still quick in the sense that they could easily penetrate one's defense with sleight-of-hand, rather than with sheer speed. Finally, after delivering numerous successive blows to the other, they leapt back, putting distance between them.

Shiore and his father both pulled out a kunai and threw them, a deafening clang echoing throughout the forest. Shiore pulled out another kunai and whipped it at his father, this time it being deflected by a thin vine. _"Whoa! He blocked it with that paper-thin vine!"_

"_My son…almost evenly matched with me? It's only been a few days since our last training exercise."_

Shiore then raised his arms in front of himself, commanding thousands of leaves off of the forest floor.

"_This is his first time, and he can already command such a high number."_

The leaves, as they floated in the air, shone with the light blue energy of chakra.

"_Of course, his control isn't perfected; he's putting too much chakra into the individual leaves. It shouldn't be visible."_

The boy jerked his hands forward, hurling each leaf at his father, who managed to deflect every one, due to a flaw in Shiore's technique. "Father, why did my leaves float instead of doing what yours did?"

"Did you not take a look at your leaves?"

"Yeah, I thought they were supposed-"

"You infused each leaf with too much chakra, which is why it shone on the leaves' surface. You can't be overzealous. The key is to relax. Then, you will be able to perform it without any problems."

The forest leaves rustled and a lean figure stepped into view from the path which they came. "Father, I've got the money!"

"Excellent work, Shin! How much is it?"

"150,000 Ryō."

There was a brief moment of silence as the wind howled through the leaves. The atmosphere had suddenly turned austere, evident by the fact that Sho's visage reflected said atmosphere. It was a slightly awkward situation for his children; they thought he would be overjoyed.

Shiore looked up at him. "Father, wha-?"

"Nothing," his father quickly interrupted. "I just thought there would've been more."

"Father, you know the highest mission rank I can take is A. I'm not that experienced…like you."

"I know, but I just don't get why you can't ask the Hokage for more."

"Father, you know he wouldn't do that," Shin responded.

"I know. We're just in…a tight situation," Sho said, exhaling heavily.

Shin began focusing his attention on his father's face, squinting his eyes as he slowly approached him. "Father, is that a cut on your face?"

"What?" he asked as he gently rubbed his cheek, guided by Shin's hand.

Sure enough, blood was on his fingers when he put his hand up to his face. He slowly looked up at Shin, then locked eyes with Shiore. The man stood silent and motionless, a gentle breeze sweeping through the forest as they all stood in confusion.

"What is it?" Shin asked.

"Well, Shiore, I told you if you could hit me then you could come with me on the next mission," he said, showing Shiore the blood on his fingers.

"Wow! Thanks, Father!" Shiore shouted in excitement as he leapt around.

"Don't thank me, Son. _You_ did it."

"Father, I don't understand," Shin said, Shiore still hopping around.

Sho leaned over into his son's ear. "Shin, his control is so much more developed," he whispered. "I told him that if he hit me, he could come with me on my next mission. As we fought, he seemed to use Yachigusa with much more control; it was like he really wanted to do something good."

"Are you sure? He hasn't even taken the Chuunin Exams yet."

"So, when do we go?" Shiore asked when he finished celebrating.

"Tomorrow."

* * *

_The next day…_

"So, Father, what's our first mission?" Shiore asked as he hopped alongside his father.

"Well, we have to intercept a treasure that's been stolen and in transfer, so there will be fighting."

"Can I-?"

"No! This is an A-rank mission and involves very powerful men. You aren't even a Chuunin yet, so you attack when I say and help when I say."

Shiore stopped hopping and began dragging his feet across the ground. He hung his head in disappointment as they walked in silence, the dead, golden leaves and various scattered sticks crunching beneath their feet.

His father looked down at him with a smirk. "Don't look so upset…I'll think about saving one for you."

* * *

_A while later…_

After what seemed like eons of nothing but walking in absolute silence, the Father and Son duo had finally appeared to be on to something when Sho suddenly broke into a run. Shiore followed suit, only able to keep up with his father because he wore traditional shinobi sandals instead of his family's geta.

"C'mon, Son! Stay with me! I don't want anything to happen to you!"

Shiore threw him a look that said "I can beat you jogging." He now ran at his father's side, their heavy and erratic breathing in unison. As fast as they ran, they had to cover several miles in less than a few minutes. While Shiore had no idea how his father knew where they were going, he didn't dare disagree or make any suggestions on change of direction.

All he wanted to do was fight.

"Hold it right there!" Sho shouted as he slowed down.

Shiore tried his best to slow his breathing so he could talk. "Father, where are they?"

"They've stopped…and they're hiding."

"But…how do you know?"

"There's a lot I haven't told you yet, huh? We, users of Yachigusa, can't just utilize plants in battle; we have to be synchronized with every plant in nature. We have to be attuned to the slightest movement or fluctuation in chakra…and we do that through our ally."

Shiore knew exactly what his father was telling him, but he couldn't help but wonder how he would ever acquire such a level of awareness and synchronization with nature. Of course, it would take time and training, but he didn't worry. If there was one thing in the world that he and his father were good at, it was training. They were probably the hardest training duo in Hi no Kuni.

The young redhead tried not to take his mind off the task at hand for too long. He looked around, though he inadvertently spun in circles as he did so.

"Shiore, stop moving," Sho said with his eyes closed. "I've got four of them, and they all know where we are, meaning they can't be too far from us and each other."

"Okay, so what's the game plan?"

"Well, you're going to move to a safe location while I draw them out," Sho responded as a kunai zipped past his ear and landed in the dirt mound in front of him. There was a slip of paper tied to the end. "Damn! An explosive tag! Shiore get behind me!"

Seconds later, the tag exploded, kicking up a large cloud of dirt and dust and blasting chunks of earth in every direction. The vines from out in front of them slowly retracted into the forest whence they came. It was then that the hidden men went into action, two leaping out of the canopy and two throwing kunai. Shiore assumed his battle stance, but was pulled back by a thick vine, which prevented him from doing much of anything except watch his father fight.

Sho managed to avoid the incoming kunai and the two forest green-clothed figures. He commanded a vine to grab them both before slamming them together, knocking them unconscious. The two others swiftly closed in and began delivering a series of punches and kicks as they revolved around him. Not only did they move in unison, but their hits were nearly perfectly executed, Sho almost having a difficult time keeping up with them. He finally managed to parry their simultaneous hooks, knocking them back. He used that opening to jump into the air, the many forest trees seemingly attacking with their foliage. Both figures appeared to avoid a serious wound, though they couldn't avoid every leaf.

There was a moment of silence as well as a pause in action as the two unconscious figures rejoined the other two, all four figures now standing stationary and releasing varying amounts killing intent, though Sho wasn't emanating as much. A gust of wind blew through the forest, causing the trees to dance in the humid air and almost knocking Sho off balance.

The four figures were all dressed the same, clad in green, leather looking material. They also wore knee-high forest green boots. Finally, after a while, one of them stepped forward, removing the green facial veil.

"_It's a girl…and a damn good looking one!"_ Shiore thought, nearly unable to suppress his excitement.

The boy was right; she was rather good looking, smooth facial features and attractive, light-blue eyes complemented her flowing black hair that ran past her shoulders, the sheen reflecting the sun and nearly blinding those that decided to ignorantly keep the gaze.

"Allow me to introduce myself. My name is Lin. So…you must be the Plant Wielder we heard about. At first I didn't think it was true, but when you attacked with those leaves-"

"How do you know about me?" Sho asked, clearly angered.

"Your son…his name is Shin, is it not?"

Sho's eyes bulged and he looked her over, emanating killing intent. He tried to find some sign of dishonesty and weakness, but she stood her ground, however. It was clear she somehow knew his son.

"I thought so. Let's just say that your son is quite well known for his infamous acts."

"Infamous?"

"He says he does it for good intentions," she said. Then with a smile, "but we all know it's something else; like he has a hell of a chip on his shoulder."

"What does he do that makes him so infamous?"

"If I told you, we'd have to kill you. Then they would be after your son."

Sho breathed. "Who are _they_?"

She then pulled out a kunai with blinding speed; Sho didn't see her move. "I've already said a little too much," she said, rotating the weapon on her finger before clutching it tightly. "But that's okay, we'll just use that as an excuse so we can kill you."

With that, they all simultaneously charged the man, Sho standing in the same spot with his hands behind his back. Suddenly, vines appeared from within the forest, an abnormally thick one impaling one of the figures onto a nearby tree. The three others were swift enough to avoid the rest, though one of them failed to avoid the crushing force of several vines twisted into one large one.

"_That's cool,"_ Shiore thought.

For the time being, that only left two, one of them including Lin. This wouldn't be an easy fight for the Plant Wielder. These two were obviously the more experienced of the four. They also appeared to have heightened reflexes and speed.

Narrowly dodging two whip-vines at once, Lin threw a slew of kunai, aimed for several killing points on the man's body. He managed to block every one with just a single vine, but felt an intense pain shoot up the length of his back.

"_Damn, he's too fast. He slipped behind me without me noticing," _he thought as a thin crimson line crept out of his mouth.

"Father!"

Both figures looked over at the source of the young voice in the nearby shrubbery. Then they both looked back at each other. The one behind Sho removed his kunai from within the redhead's back.

"We can't have any witnesses! Get the damn kid!" she commanded her comrade.

With that, the masked figure made a beeline for the boy, and, though it wasn't visible, his lips formed a wide smile as he gripped his kunai ever tighter.

"Shiore, make me proud!" his father shouted to him, commanding the vines that restrained him to release their grip.

His son rose, attempting to block the several kunai that were thrown at him with an extremely thin vine. He missed and managed to dodge a few of them but was struck by one in the leg.

"_His reflexes aren't as developed as his old man's,"_ the figure thought, now on the defensive.

Shiore brought his hands out in front of him, commanding a colossal number of leaves off the trees and forest floor to attack his target. _"The leaves…they aren't shining!" _he thought in excitement.

He sent the leaves forward faster than the masked figure could react, and he was struck by almost every leaf. After a moment, he slowly fell to his knees, somehow unable to move.

"_Fuck! Those damn leaves cut into my boots and sliced my tendons. I'm at his mercy, but was that his intention?"_

Meanwhile, Sho found he was having a difficult time keeping up with his female opponent's speed. He didn't appreciate fighting a female, but his son's life was at stake, and at the moment, his was too. She was relentless in her attacks, and it didn't seem like the fight was going his way. She was clearly much faster and was wearing him down, attacking with only kunai while he had an entire forest at his disposal. Well, forest that was within a 20 kilometer radius of him.

He commanded as many vines and leaves as he could to cause as much damage possible. Using Yachigusa for extended periods of time can tire even the most experienced users. Though a side effect of the kekkei genkai is abnormally large chakra reserves, someone like Shiore would die from chakra exhaustion if he was in his father's situation.

The fight reached its climax when Lin slid under a large vine, revolving around Sho and stabbing him in his back, piercing the preexisting wound. A maniacal smile hugged her lips as the man let out a yelp of pain.

"Father!" Shiore shouted as he ran over for assistance.

The man on his knees did what he could to stop the boy, slicing his knee open as he ran past him. The young redhead also let out a shriek of pain as he fell on his face, breaking his nose. Though bleeding profusely and in tremendous pain, Shiore pulled out a kunai and threw it, the weapon penetrating the man's skull.

Sho slowly turned his head and looked over at his son as Lin stood close behind with a kunai in his back. The father and son locked eyes for a moment, Shiore's eyes beginning to tear up. Perhaps he knew of his father's fate.

Perhaps he knew of his brother's fate.

Or maybe the tears were for his mother.

All the same, he was utterly distraught, and he didn't necessarily know why.

Sho slowly opened his mouth, attempting to utter his words with as much comprehensibility as possible. "Shiore…get…out…of…here."

Shiore didn't immediately obey, observing the blood gushing out of his open knee. He attempted to get to his feet, but his right knee was seemingly paralyzed. He found himself shedding more tears as he looked back at his father.

"Shiore…leave. She…will…kill you too."

Lin smiled. "But first, I'm going to start with you. And do you know what else? We sent a squad to your home to eliminate our "employee.""

"Wha-? AHHH!"

"I wouldn't suggest you move around too much. My kunai came too close to your spine. There's nothing you can do, unless you want to be paralyzed for the rest of your life."

"What…did you…do?"

"Karma is a bitch, isn't it?"

"This time…I'm going…to make sure…I…kill you. Shiore…leave!"

Shiore crawled across the ground as fast as he could. He didn't want to witness what was going to happen next. He overheard what Lin said, and he attempted to get home as fast as he could, though crawling would take twice as long.

Sho commanded an extremely thick vine out of the upper canopy. The plant weapon had an extremely sharp tip, and he sent it through Lin's chest.

But it also went through his.

Silence engulfed the area, the surrounding atmosphere suddenly turning austere and grim. A gentle, reassuring breeze blew through the forest, returning the atmosphere to its former serenity for a brief moment.

Lin coughed, splattering a mixture of blood and saliva into Sho's bright, red hair. "Your son…is already dead. I am…merely a pawn."

"Pawns…die first."

* * *

_Half an hour later, Minamino residence…_

Shiore stood at the doorway in a daze, his mother and Shin's body mutilated in the middle of the floor. There was blood eveywhere. The boy wanted to scream at the top of his lungs.

But there was nothing he wanted more than help.

He wanted to erase everything.

Then, he began to feel a great sense of overwhelming guilt. He truly believed that it was his fault all of this happened. His brother and mother were good people on the inside; they didn't deserve to die.

He stood in fear, confusion, and anger. Those overwhelming feelings, coupled with the pain from losing his family, was too much to bear for the young boy, and he collapsed onto the hard, wooden floor, his mind racing moments before his loss of consciousness.

He hoped it was all just a terrible nightmare.

* * *

_A/N: So how did you enjoy that? Don't worry, I'll be back to the regular storyline in maybe the chapter after next. I'll try to get started on the next timeskip chapter ASAP so I can get back to the mainstream storyline quicker for you guys._

_Questions, comments, complaints, criticisms? If any, leave a review!_


	16. Some Things Never Change

_A/N: Hello, all and welcome back to the latest installment of **Naruto: The Leech**! It seemed like I was absent forever. This chapter took all my life thanks to football practice everyday. Anyway, as in my profile, it should be stated that **Leech **will be held back for awhile so I can plan out my other two upcoming stories. For the most part, **HunterXNaruto **is somewhat planned out and might become more than I expected (looking at the other stories in the crossover fandom). **Orange Blaze **will most definitely need some planning because the only things I have planned out are the plot and how Naruto will use his powers in the fic. Well, enough about me. Time to answer a review:_

_****__cryptozthunderlord__**:** The person he got his kekkei genkai from was female. The last chapter served as a background, as well as something to read, before the timeskip. Also, I have been thinking about having Naruto join Akatsuki, but I can't decide. So I'll let the readers decide with a poll I'll have posted by tomorrow._

_Now, without further ado..._

**

* * *

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**Chapter 16**

**Some Things Never Change**

* * *

_An abandoned fortress, unknown location…_

"Come on! Give me more! You can do better!"

"Sure thing! Just try to keep up!"

Two lean figures fought in a brilliant display of sheer power and speed. The epic fight took place in the large, dimly lit arena of an enormous fortress which was perched near the summit of a skyscraping mountain. The ancient looking stronghold had clearly been vandalized and several parts were actually falling from it.

Inside, the two figures were fighting for what seemed like hours. Streaks and flashes of light lit the room with a thunderous atmosphere. The sounds of colliding weaponry reverberated throughout the eerie setting, accompanied by the grunts and heavy breathing of the two.

Both figures were extremely fast and powerful, destroying entire walls and leaving large craters in their wake. No doubt, both figures were powerful and intelligent, judging by their sophisticated fighting styles. Even so, both figures managed to keep up with the other.

Another figure soon came into view, slipping through a large wooden door on the side wall of the arena. The figure was lit the moment he stepped through the door, two candles in protective tubes on both sides of the door illuminating every feature of the new figure and the soft glow of the candles could be seen reflected in his glasses.

The fight paused for a moment, and one of the fighters, taller of the two, approached the bespectacled one. "Ah, Kabuto. Nice to see that you've returned in one piece. So, have you located him?"

Kabuto bowed to the man as they approached each other. "Orochimaru-sama, I-"

"Kabuto, it certainly has been awhile, hasn't it?" the pale-faced man asked with an eerie chuckle. "You don't have to bow to me…not anymore. You've proven your worth."

The subordinate looked up into the feline-like eyes of his superior. The slight fear he felt whenever he looked into them was now gone. Still, being in the Hebi-teme's presence felt ominous, especially after three years. "Well, Orochimaru-sama, almost every attempt to track and trail him has been unsuccessful, and he's proven adept at discovering and avoiding various traps, no matter how we disguised them."

"Hmm, so I assume the others-"

"Were killed," Kabuto finished. "I was the only one to escape."

"What the hell happened? Is he that powerful?" Orochimaru asked, inadvertently raising his voice.

"Yes, he has grown remarkably in the last three years. For example, the last time I saw him, he was only able to fluidly utilize Hyōton. Now, he's using Fūton at Kage level."

"Hmm, makes sense; Fūton is one of the two jutsu needed in order to use Hyōton. So, is that all?" Orochimaru asked.

"That was all he displayed when I observed him. He appears to have a natural affinity for wind, and he wields it, and ice, with the utmost efficiency. If any of us were to encounter him, we wouldn't stand a chance."

"Hyōton explains why he's able to use Fūton, but there's still no explanation on how he acquired an extinct kekkei genkai, one that also has no origins in Hi no Kuni. I've been trying to find the answer for three years…but not anymore," Orochimaru said, an austere expression washing over his pale face.

The other unknown figure stepped forward, his hand on the hilt of his sheathed katana. Kabuto adjusted his glasses, sliding the support up the bridge of his nose as his lips curled into a slightly distorted smirk. "Ah, Uchiha Sasuke. So that's your plan, Orochimaru-sama?"

The man nodded with a clever smirk. "We've been training for three years-"

"I'm sure he has been too," Kabuto interrupted.

"But does he have a partner as smart, powerful, or physically strong as Sasuke? I don't think so. Sasuke is a rare breed, one of the few remaining Uchiha left…one of the few remaining with the most potential."

"Orochimaru, you haven't forgotten have you?" Sasuke asked, perhaps speaking his first words since his arrival.

"How Naruto killed you in the finals? No, I haven't, and I believe that has something to do with the loss of your Sharingan."

"I remember," Kabuto said. "Those tendrils that he released, the plant he summoned-"

"I know first hand that Naruto has the ability to control plants," Sasuke added. "That makes him even more dangerous, especially in a heavily forested area. Thing is, he never had that ability before the finals, meaning that he obtained it during the one month break between the preliminaries and the finals."

"So we can conclude that the kid has the ability to absorb various abilities, no matter the origin. So does that mean he uses different methods for absorption?" Kabuto asked.

"You would think so," Sasuke responded. "I know him, formally and somewhat informally. Trust me, you'll never know."

"Well, at least we know why you can't use your Sharingan, and we also know that victims die afterwards, as in your case, which means we have to be extremely cautious when trying to bring him in," Orochimaru stated.

Sasuke looked down to the floor, memories flashing in his eyes. Not knowing why he began to feel sorry for himself and Naruto, he embraced them rather than attempting to shunt them to the back of his mind. Aggression soon followed as the onslaught of memories continued, remembering who killed him and what that person took. _"You have my eyes now…but it's time to give them back."_

* * *

_Meanwhile in Konoha; Hokage's office…_

"This group has been assembled for the sole purpose of tracking down Naruto. As you may know, Naruto is a shinobi of this village and with training, he could be one of the best, but he is also a Jinchuuriki, one of the highest caliber. That means people will be after him…for the power inside of him."

The old man, Sarutobi, took an unusually long puff out of his antique-like pipe. At the same time, he glared into the eyes of each of the matured Chuunin that stood before his large cluttered desk.

Anko stepped forward. "Also, we have reason to believe that Orochimaru might be after him, which is probably why he abducted Sasuke on the day of the invasion."

Some in the group looked as if they had a hard time taking in that much information, while others looked as if they were due to die in a matter of moments. Of course, they were being tasked with tracking down three nuke-nin, all of which are from one of the most powerful shinobi villages in the world. Then again, some in the group have been training for several years, others, give or take a few months. Still, these were the hardiest to come out of the academy in awhile, and each individual has certainly proven their worth in the Chuunin Exams and later, their training.

The group, dubbed the Naruto Search and Rescue Squad, consisted of Shikamaru, Neji, Kiba, Lee, Shino, Hinata, and Sakura, and they were all handpicked by Sarutobi. They all stood at attention with their hands to their sides and eyes fixed on the village's superior figure.

"Shikamaru, you will lead this group and in doing so, you will ensure that things go smoothly between comrades. If one needs protection, you will be there as protection. Still, the group will act as one, and if something should go wrong, it will be the group's fault. Understood?"

"Understood!" they said in unison, Neji throwing Shikamaru a look of envy and disgust.

* * *

_Meanwhile, an unknown village…_

The air was extremely hot and humid, yet unusually moist. It hung thick and heavy in the air, nearly suffocating the lone figure that slowly walked through the crowded streets of a small, bustling community. He found he was quite used to the noise, though there had been no interaction between him and another human for as long as he could remember.

The figure was tall, towering over some of the inhabitants of the community, though he failed to notice it. He was clad in a black trench coat, black knee-high strap boots with chrome knee protectors, black pants, and matching black vest. He also wore a hitai-ite, the long tails flowing in the breeze behind him. Where the village insignia was supposed to be engraved, there was nothing except a marking; a large diagonal slash going from the bottom-left to the top-right corners of the rectangular slab of metal.

As he walked, not necessarily knowing his destination, he attracted the stares and comments of the many people he passed. It had been a long walk, for him, of course. He'd been walking all day and many days before the present one.

He soon approached a wooden pole, perhaps for him, the focal point of the small village. He crossed his arms as he observed the illustrated piece of paper "nailed" to the pole. The nail was a kunai, and the paper was a wanted poster for bounty hunters.

**WANTED**

_Name/Alias: Uzumaki Naruto_

_Gender: Male_

_Hair/Eye Color: Blond/Blue_

_Height: 152.40-162.88 cm_

_Weight: 50-60 kg_

_Description: Extremely dangerous. Unique skill set required to capture. Don't confront alone._

_Bounty: 50 Million Ryō_

The figure stood staring at the paper for a few more minutes, his now narrowed eyes signifying his surfacing disgust at the picture, or perhaps the bounty itself. He curled his lips, raising the top one as he wiggled his nose in a subtle manner. "Damn…they got the nose wrong again," he said to himself.

"He-he, Uzumaki Naruto. You're worth 50 million, buddy. Know what? You're gonna make me a rich man," a voice said from behind him.

"Damn, another one. How many of you guys do I have to kill?"

"Fuck that, kid. I may just look like a regular bounty hunter, but have you read the description? In order to fight you, a unique skill set is needed," he said with a smirk accompanied by killing intent.

"_Damn, no kekkei genkai. Oh well, I haven't had any action for awhile."_

"What's wrong? Thinking about running away?"

Unlike the others, this bounty hunter, as noticed by Naruto, seemed to take an unusually high amount of pride in himself. Therefore, the boy began to wonder if he was in over his head. However, it was unlike him to back down from a challenge. This trait had been in his nature since he was a child.

His back still to the bounty hunter, he replied, "I'm thinking about how I should kill you."

A wide smile appeared on the man's face, though he was still projecting killing intent. "Ha-ha-ha-ha-ha! Kill me? Do you know who filed this bounty?"

Naruto thought back. He tried to think three years back, and he could only think of a few people. Yet, he didn't answer.

"Still don't know?" the man asked after receiving no response for many minutes. "A man by the name of Orochimaru filed the damn bounty!"

Naruto's head jumped up, a complete accident considering the fact that he didn't want to give away any of his knowledge of the nuke-nin. He lowered his head, not attempting to even take a breath.

"Judging by how your heart raced the moment I mentioned his name, you must know him or at least have some affiliation with him. Sorry, but there's no denying it."

Narutowas hesitant, even reluctant to give an explanation to someone he would soon kill. Of course, he had been found out, but if he lied, he would most definitely be found out. When a person lies, there are two factors that determine if they're telling the truth: pupil dilation and heart rate. This man knew that Naruto knew somebody else by either listening to or seeing his heart rate, which means the senses required to detect a distant heart rate are heightened ten-fold.

"_Hmm, is that why he's so confident? Superhuman senses?"_

"You're probably wondering now how I read your heart. I'm blind."

With that, Narutoturned to face the man, immediately observing his eyes.

He had none.

Besides being blind, the man was the complete opposite of what Naruto expected. He was just as tall as the blond if not taller, complemented by spiky red hair and muscular physique.

"My eyes were burned out with acid when I was a child as part of an initiation ceremony of my former…deranged sensei. You see, my eyes are gone for a reason. Now almost all of my senses: smell, taste, touch, and hearing are increased. Even my reflexes are heightened. Still, that's beside the point. The point is that I give you to him and I get the money."

Naruto flicked his wrist and a kunai slipped into his hand from within his sleeve. He threw the weapon the moment it touched his hand, aiming between the man's eyes. It all happened in the timeframe of a fraction of a second. Indeed, the man's reflexes were extremely heightened. They had to be in order for him to catch it with two fingers just millimeters from his glabella.

"So I guess you were right about one thing, but you know, I'm not going quietly."

"I don't expect you to," the man responded with a smirk.

* * *

_Meanwhile, with the Naruto Search and Rescue Squad…_

"Kiba, how close are we?" Shikamaru asked as they flew through the canopy of a heavily wooded area.

"I couldn't tell you. I lost his scent awhile back; I'm following Akamaru now!"

"Alright!"

"Akamaru, how far?"

The abnormally large dog barked twice, followed by three short barks. Somehow, Kiba understood perfectly. "Akamaru says we're about five minutes away!"

* * *

_Meanwhile; unknown forest area with Orochimaru, Sasuke, and Kabuto…_

The three ominous figures walked into a small clearing. It seemed as if they had been walking all day, considering the fact that the sun was now setting, the red-orange horizon accompanied by bright red clouds stamped onto an orange canvas of sky.

It was hot, though the occasional cool breezes somewhat chilled the shadowed forest. Sasuke was now sweating, and he slowly wiped his brow in an attempt to remove every bead of sweat.

"Hey, guys. Look," Kabuto said as they approached a piece of paper nailed to a short wooden pole with a kunai. He then handed it to Orochimaru.

"He-he, good illustration," he chuckled, giving it to Sasuke.

Sasuke smirked. "They got the nose wrong."

* * *

_In Konoha; Hokage's office…_

Jiraiya stared all the while into the eyes of Sarutobi, not daring to avert his gaze because he knew if he did, his eyes wouldn't be able to return. The room was so quiet, one could hear a senbon drop, and that only increased the level of tension in the room. A bead of sweat slowly crawled down the contour of the Sennin's face.

Sarutobi noticed and a subtle smile hugged his lips. "Jiraiya, you can relax. This is nothing bad. I'm just going to ask you a few questions."

Jiraiya took a deep breath and relaxed his body, giving Kakashi a quick glance. The silver-haired Jonin sat in a chair to Jiraiya's left. Unlike him, Kakashi seemed cheerful and comfortable as usual.

"Hiya, buddy," he said, waving.

"Now, Jiraiya, you were the last person to be seen with Naruto," Sarutobi said, leaning over his desk. "Now, I'm not accusing you of anything, but…what did you do to Naruto three years ago?"

* * *

_With Naruto…_

It was suddenly quiet, and the streets were nearly barren. A gentle breeze swept through the village, lifting the end of Naruto'scoat off the ground and into the breeze. The man opposite of him, still emanating killing intent, looked into the blond'seyes, despite the man not having any.

Naruto unintentionally sneered. "Your fucking killing intent has no affect on me! Why use it?"

"That's not the point. The point is that you understand I'm not like any other bounty hunter you've ever encountered."

"Hmph, well, I'll start on your move," Naruto said, clutching another kunai that zipped out of his sleeve.

"No, I'll start on your move.

"Fine!" the blond responded, throwing the kunai, yet again, at the man's face, but not aiming for any specific point.

He deflected it with his hand, but Naruto was behind him the moment he did so. The blond would've taken his head off with another kunai if he didn't avoid it, ducking just as the weapon brushed along his red hair. Now in a crouched position, the man did a sweeping kick, except his intended target was already gone. Naruto appeared behind him again, this time, clutching his trademark ice spear. He lunged it forward, attempting to impale him on his frozen weapon.

The man sidestepped and put his palm out, shattering the weapon. Naruto'seyes bulged as the shattered remains hit the ground and immediately turned into water, the scene, in more ways than none, resembling a rainy afternoon.

"_What the hell? He didn't even touch it!"_

A smile could be seen on the man's face behind the slow falling shards. From Naruto's perspective, it was as if time seemed to freeze.

"You're probably wondering how I shattered your weapon. You're probably even wondering how a blind man is able to read your movements to avoid your attacks."

Naruto didn't stop to think about it. In fact, he readied himself as another kunai zipped into his hand. The man dashed backwards, putting some distance between the two, his body language relaxed.

"Air currents. That's the answer. I can feel even the slightest currents. You see, when a person moves, whether it be a finger or a limb, air currents are sent through the air. Think of dropping a stone into water. Ripples are produced no matter how big the stone is. Anyway, my body is perfectly attuned to those currents since I've been training since childhood. So, the only way you can beat me is if you remain absolutely sti-"

The man stopped talking mid-sentence as he gasped for air for a few moments. At that moment, a thin red line was slowly drawn on his neck from left to right, and his head slid off of his body right afterwards. His beheaded body fell, the shadow clone of Naruto coming into view from behind the fallen figure. He winked before dissipating in a cloud of smoke.

Naruto looked down at the bodiless head. He wondered what story his eyes would tell if he had any. "Air currents can't produce air currents, dumb-ass."

"Excuse me, sir!"

Naruto turned on heel, facing the source of the voice. A group of seven teens soon appeared, running up the wide village entrance path towards the figure they thought would be a source of help. Suddenly, they all stopped. They were several yards away before realizing they had come face to face with a familiar one.

"That's him alright," Neji said.

"Damn, he looks so much older and mature," Kiba said.

"_Man, he's grown," _Lee thought.

Shikamaru stepped forward, signaling his comrades to keep their distance. The atmosphere had become austere and increasingly tense, but Naruto kept his poise all the while. He glared into the eyes of his ex-friend while Shikamaru stared back. He took one more step before he stopped moving forward. Several feet behind him, Sakura and Hinata slowly backed away, pressured by an unknown force.

"It's awful, isn't it?" Neji asked. "It's his killing intent. Hell, I'm surprised Shikamaru can even tolerate it at that distance."

"I…don't…understand," Hinata said, shivering with fear.

"He wouldn't be giving us a taste of his killing intent if he doesn't plan on killing us. Well, that's my philosophy anyway," the usually quiet Shino stated.

A smile appeared on Naruto's face, then he let out a laugh. "What are you guys doing here? Huh? Did the old man send you after me?"

Shikamaru stayed calm, and he narrowed his eyes in a futile attempt to match superiority with the blond. "Naruto, just relax. We just came to tell you that you're still welco-"

"Why would I go back? What the hell kind of shinobi wants to lose his license?"

"Naruto, what kind of shinobi are you now? Have you looked around? There are bounty posters with your picture on them everywhere," Shikamaru said, trying to stay calm amidst a killing intent that nearly caused him to visualize his own death. "You're a wanted criminal."

Shikamaru began shivering and it reflected in his soft voice. Though Naruto failed to notice that, it was clear that his former peers were shaken up by his presence.

He liked that.

There was a large tree that overlooked the path, creating a large area of shadow caused by the setting sun. Naruto noticed and stepped aside into the sun.

"_Damn, he noticed just as I was about to use it," _Shikamaru thought.

The blond looked up with a somewhat evil smirk. "Now where were we? Oh yeah, you guys were just about to take me back to that damn village by force!"

"Naruto-"

"Like I told everyone else: I'm not going quietly!" he shouted, throwing three kunai that formed a vertical line.

Shikamaru sidestepped. "Guys, get out of here!"

Kiba charged forward, on Akamaru's back. "We're not going anywhere!"

Shino then stepped forward, putting his hands to the brick path. His Kikaichū crawled out of his sleeves in overwhelming numbers, their sights set on the blond's chakra. Seeing the insects coming his way, he raised his arms and blew every insect in the opposite direction with a powerful gust of wind that knocked Kiba off of Akamaru.

"_The sun is going to set soon. He'll be at my mercy, and he knows that. He's going to try to end this quickly," _Shikamaru thought.

Narutolooked up at the sky and dashed backwards as the others recuperated from the previous attack. A very high, very long wall of ice materialized before their eyes, which immediately raised questions and concerns.

"What's he doing?" Kiba asked.

"I don't know. The wall is too high and too long to cross, so everyone, be on the defensive," Shikamaru said.

The wall immediately turned to water, and Naruto came into view with his hands raised. The weirdest part about the scene was that the blond was surrounded by a hundred or so ice needles. He grinned before thrusting his arms forward, sending every spear-sized ice needle into the group of Chuunin.

Neji dashed before the group with blinding speed. "Hakkeshō Kaiten!"

The dome of chakra repelled every spear, or so they thought.

"Shikamaru! Shino was hit!"

The leader of the group, along with Sakura, checked the severity of the injury. Neji ran over for assistance, his Byakugan activated. "Shit! It's too close to his heart! Sakura?"

"This is out of my league. The slightest touch will cause it to pierce his heart. We have to go back so Tsunade can take care of it."

Shikamaru slowly rose to his feet and glared at the sneering blond through narrowed eyes, though he refused to release any killing intent.

"Hmph, is that enough for you? I could do a _lot_ more than just a spear through a chest."

"Guys, get out of here," Shikamaru said.

"Planning a one-on-one?"

Shikamaru shook his head. "You're a disgrace. Hurting your comrades. Defecting from the village. For what?" he said, yelling.

"I believe we already went over this. Now, the only way I'm going back is if you fucking kill me!"

With that, Shikamaru slowly backed away and soon vanished out of sight.

The blond looked up into the darkening sky, his ruffled hair dancing in the wind. As he gazed into the star filled sky, he wondered if there were that many kekkei genkai in the world, which excited him. Well, he was probably aroused because his hunger had surfaced during the fight with his former comrades. The boy wondered when it would return; he was beginning to miss the ever familiar urge for a kekkei genkai.

He slowly walked down the wide path leading back into the forest, readying himself for the many fierce battles that lie ahead…

* * *

_A/N: Well, I hope that was enjoyable! I didn't think it was as good as I thought it would be. Still, it was okay, and I was pleased with how it turned out. But I hope you guys liked it! Like I've said before, a bulk of my time will be going into my two new fics, especially my challenge fic. Well, thanks for reading and be sure to vote on my poll!_


	17. Confrontations

_A/N: Hellooooo everybody! Welcome back! Now I can't believe how long it took me to get this released, and to anyone that expected an update earlier...sorry. Anyway, this chapter is the start of new things. Characters and relationships will begin to develop, and of course, Naruto has become more powerful...and more insane. I mean, there was a three year time-skip... More to the point, my decision on having him join Akatsuki is still quite undecided. Hopefully, I'll get enough votes on my poll to persuade me._

_But before we get to the fic, time to answer some concerns:_

___**Simukai:**__ That would be interesting to see. As a matter fact, I just might go with it, but the way the story is going, I really don't know._

_**cryptozthunderlord:** I don't know what you mean when you said it didn't have a purpose. It was the first post-timeskip chapter; it most definetely had a purpose. But about the mercenary vs. Akatsuki thing, I'm leaning a little towards the latter...but we'll see how things pan out._

___**Ppsh: **Yes, Naruto will be using the Sharingan. More specifically, the Mangekyo Sharingan. I'll have a pic of it posted on my profile just to give people an idea of its appearance._

_Now, without further ado...the story! Enjoy!_

**

* * *

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**Chapter 17: Confrontations**

* * *

_Two days later, Konoha Hospital, 9 AM…_

The Naruto Search and Rescue Squad, omitting Shino for now, sat on a long bench on the opposite side of the room of his bed, most gazing back and forth from the window to his seemingly lifeless body. While the room had lost its tense atmosphere a long time ago, it was now terrifyingly grim, and for a while, some members of the group didn't think he would make it, namely Shikamaru, who was the leader of the group.

He felt a tear slowly crawl down his face and onto his lips. He ignored it, too distraught to even care about the saline taste in his mouth. Whenever he tried to speak, he just choked up on his words and overwhelming guilt. For a while, he was unable to utter a syllable, but he finally cleared his throat.

"Look guys…I'm sorry abou-"

"It's not your fault," Sakura suddenly interrupted. "Remember what Hokage-sama said: it's the group's fault. We're one."

"Yeah, don't bring yourself any lower thinking you were solely responsible for this," Ino said, her visage the epitome of depression. "There was nothing we could've done."

"I know. It…just feels like my fault…because I'm the leader and all. Besides, Hokage-sama added that since I'm the leader, I'm supposed to be there for protection."

"But you were there," Sakura said. "You were by his side, and you were brave enough to stand up to Naruto too. What more could we ask for in a leader?"

Shikamaru's hands were interlocked and his gaze hadn't left the tile beneath his foot. "Thanks. I guess you guys really are there for me, huh?"

"Of course!" Kiba blurted. "We're teammates. Not to mention we practically grew up together."

Either because of Kiba's upbeat attitude and obnoxious voice or of his own free will, Shino finally managed to sit up in his reclined bed, his first movements in days. His comrades' eyes bulged out of their sockets as the gloomy atmosphere had finally come to pass, replaced by joyous smiles and cheering from the group.

"Shino!" Ino blurted, gleaming with happiness as she leapt off the bench.

The others followed suit and joined Ino at the bug-wielder's bedside. It felt as if they were at a reunion, celebrating their comrade's return from unconsciousness since they felt as if they hadn't seen him in years.

Shino flinched. "Geez, think you guys can keep it down?" he asked, a smile tugging at his thin lips.

"No way, man! You're alive! Naruto almost killed you."

A brief moment of silence enveloped the entirety of the room, and the atmosphere suddenly turned awkward.

Shino stared off into space, put in a trance after realizing the painful reality off their former comrade's merciless attack. "Naruto…what's gotten into him?" he asked, his voice soft and somewhat shaken.

Again, there was silence. Either there wasn't an answer as to what went wrong with the blond mentally, or the group just didn't want to answer such a difficult question. Actually, no one knew what went wrong with him at the time of the invasion, except Shikamaru, who was the last one to converse with him, and even he hasn't pieced everything together.

"Don't all speak up at once," the bed-ridden boy said sarcastically.

Shikamaru finally decided to speak up. "Look, Shino…everyone…it's important that you know that…Naruto won't be returning."

"What are you talking about?" Shino asked, highly interested as to where this conversation was going to go.

"I spoke with him…three years ago…like how I'm speaking to you now. He's unlike the Naruto any of us have ever known. He's quiet, has a volatile temper and personality…and carries a secret, which is the reason why he defected."

"What secret?" Shino asked.

"If I knew, I would tell you. As a matter fact, I asked him that myself. He just said that nobody would be able to help him."

"So, let me get this straight," Sakura said, austerity firmly engraved on her face. "This whole time, Naruto's been keeping a secret…and it's because of that…that he defected?"

"Sakura, you were his teammate. You guys didn't talk to each other?" Shikamaru asked.

At that question, the pink-haired girl couldn't help but turn her distraught gaze to the floor, silently grieving over the absences of both of her teammates. "He was…distant…and acted as if he never needed help. As the invasion got closer…he began acting more and more like Sasuke…until finally…"

"Now I understand why Hokage-sama wanted us to bring him back," Shino said. "He's a threat, and I've witnessed it first-hand. I hate to say it, but he has to be eliminated before he becomes an international criminal."

Sakura whimpered. It was quite clear that she disliked the idea of confronting him, let alone being a part of the group tasked with eliminating him before his status grew to international criminal. Before anything else could be said, the door creaked open and the figures of Kakashi and Sarutobi leisurely entered.

"Hello, kids," Kakashi said, waving as he stowed his literary favorite in a pocket of his vest.

"How are you doing, Shino?" Sarutobi asked.

"Good," he responded, not truly knowing the state of his stable condition, given the fact that he awoke only moments ago.

"So, I assume that the group will soon be up and running. When you all are…kill Naruto on sight."

The words that came out of the old man's mouth weren't only accompanied by a cloud of smoke, but hung thick in the air and stung the senses of all that were present, much akin to the pungent smoke that slowly crawled out of his ancient pipe.

"I hope you all don't take this the wrong way," Sarutobi said, attempting to console the teenagers and lighten the mood. "You all should understand by now why you're being tasked with this…important mission."

For a moment, there was silence, nearly prompting Sarutobi to retract all that he said and just leave the room without any further explanation. Either they really didn't understand the severity of the situation, or they were just extremely reluctant. "We understand, Hokage-sama," Shino said on behalf of the group.

"Good," he said, a smug expression on his face, though it wasn't at all a genuine one.

Sakura was undoubtedly worried. Not about herself, of course. She was worried for her teammate, Naruto. She knew he was wanted and that soon, he would become a threat even to Konoha. She began mentally shuffling through various scenarios of their encounter with Naruto and even the possibility of his return to the village, which was highly unlikely. Even so, it was still a possibility.

Sakura gulped, ensuring that it wasn't audible by those nearby. "Umm…Hokage-sama…there's something-"

"You're worried," he interrupted, adding a reassuring smirk. "Is there any reason why you find yourself…reluctant?"

"I'm not…reluctant. It's just…I want things to go back the way they used to be. How can they if we're ordered to kill him?" Sakura found herself slightly raising her voice, and the austere atmosphere of the small room was accompanied by a moderate output of tears from her grief-stricken eyes.

Kakashi mentally sighed. _"Damn, I didn't think this situation would have this effect on her. I wish there was something I could do."_

"I understand what you mean, Sakura, but haven't you taken the time to consider what Naruto is going through? He's suffering a complete mental breakdown, and it's because of that that he now views us, his own family and friends, as enemies. Also, he's a growing young man who has yet to find his place in the world. Sakura, what do you think will happen when he never finds that place?"

She couldn't hold back any longer, and she let her emotions run their highest. Apparently, Sarutobi had asked the question she had been waiting so long to hear, as she began crying her heart out.

Kakashi approached the elder. "Hokage-sama, I don't think-"

"No offense, Kakashi, but you're opinion on this matter won't change anything. Do you know what I regret the most in my long life? That I couldn't save my student from suffering the same fate as your student's. And what happened three years ago? With help from Sunagakure, he invaded the village and even had the chance to kill me. But now it's too late. He's stronger than any of us here." With that, Sarutobi paused, taking an unusually prolonged puff out of his pipe as he stared off into space. "I just hope they don't make the same mistake."

"I understand what you're trying to say, Hokage-sama, but Naruto is still growing; he has time to change."

"But he's still out there, up to Kami knows what. He can't possibly be changing for the better, could he?"

Kakashi turned his eye to the floor. "No, I guess not," was all he had to say.

Sarutobi glanced around the room, examining the glum expressions on everyone's face. That happened to be enough to make him realize that he should allow the group to decide on issues as a whole, not by a single person, namely himself. "Alright, there's been a change of plans. The group will have to decide what to do on the issue concerning Naruto. I guess my idea wasn't a very good one so I'll stay out of the way."

With that, he left the room just as quickly as he entered.

Before Kakashi exited, he turned to the group. "Hey, you guys…you're one," he said slowly as the door creaked shut behind him.

Kakashi caught up with Sarutobi as he slowly made his way down the hall. "Hokage-sama, remember your interrogation of Jiraiya a couple of days ago?"

"Yes. Like it was yesterday, and I still think Jiraiya is behind the boy's condition. I won't show sympathy just because he's my student."

Kakashi looked down to the floor while Sarutobi stared up at the ceiling. The fact of the matter was, Sarutobi was the only one between them that thought the Sennin was the root of Naruto's troubles. Kakashi thought different…

* * *

_Two days ago, Hokage's office…_

"Now, I'm not accusing you of anything, but…what did you do to Naruto three years ago?"

Jiraiya nervously glanced over at Kakashi, who had his face stuffed in his book. Jiraiya truly didn't know what to say or how to react. His own sensei was accusing him of changing Naruto into the heartless, ruthless shell of young man he is now. The Sennin stood his ground and remained silent for a moment. As Sarutobi opened his mouth again to speak, he promptly interrupted. "I don't know who the hell you think I am, but I only trained Naruto for the Chuunin Exam Finals. He fled when I turned my back, and that's the last time I saw him."

"You don't understand. We have a few eyewitnesses who've said they saw you with him on the outskirts of the village. Now, it's human nature to deny-"

"What? I'm not denying anything! I told you-"

"I know what you told me. You trained him. So what kind of training did you have him do?"

"Hardly any. We didn't have a ton of time so we touched up on chakra control despite the fact that his was already refined…and…I taught him a Kuchiyose but that was it."

"Hmm."

"You know this was way before his…change."

"Even so, you're still a possible culprit. I would hate to find out that you were the one that directly caused one of our Genin to defect from the village."

"Hokage-sama, you have to believe me!"

"I don't know whether to believe you or not. Nevertheless, until then, you had better hope that what you're telling me is true, Jiraiya. The only thing stopping me from taking this up with the council is the squad I've assembled to find him, consisting of some of the village's top Chuunin…except Neji."

"Well that's good."

"I suppose, but what I said still stands."

"Yes, Hokage-sama," Jiraiya said, leaving the room with in a much confused state.

Kakashi rose as Sarutobi sighed and reclined his large chair. "How are you so sure?"

"I'm not. I just have witnesses."

"Well…maybe it could've been something else."

* * *

_Present day…_

Sarutobi and Kakashi stood in front of the grave that belonged to Haku, next to them, the enormous sword that belonged to the once infamous Zabuza sticking out of the ground as a headstone of sorts. For many minutes, they stood in silence, contemplating Jiraiya's future in the village.

"Before I buried his body, I noticed five puncture wounds on his gut. When I put my hand to them, they matched up almost perfectly. There was also no blood or blood stains…on either of them."

"How do you know it was Naruto?"

"I felt the Kyuubi's chakra while I fought Zabuza. And Sasuke was unconscious. Point is, I believe his condition has something to do with how he killed Haku."

"You said…punctures?"

"Yeah, like he shoved his fingers into him."

Suddenly, Sarutobi was hit with an epiphany. "Wasn't Naruto able to use Hyōton during the Chuunin Exams?"

"Yeah…" Kakashi replied, shock on his face.

"Then it looks like we're on the same page…"

* * *

_Meanwhile, forest far from Konoha, noon…_

The sun seared the back of his exposed neck, and his journey finally began to turn into an arduous one, as the figure had began to succumb to fatigue.

He wore all black: black boots, pants, and a shinobi vest with nothing under it, while on his back were a pair of katanas that crossed to form an "X." He also wore black fingerless gloves and sported a head of spiky, red hair with a single bang that fell between his eyes onto the bridge of his nose.

The lone figure cautiously traversed the unfamiliar terrain of the gigantic forest. For a few moments, he didn't think he knew where he was going. Then again, he didn't have a true destination since he was searching for someone.

Unbeknownst to him, he was being observed from afar by another mysterious figure, sitting on a large branch with his back on the trunk and his legs out in front of him, crossed, along with his arms.

The figure below slowed his pace, closely examining the ground in front of him. He sensed something about the immediate area was…off, and he looked around for a moment, standing motionless when he thought he picked up a presence.

"I know you're there!" he shouted, not knowing the other's precise location but knowing that the person was in his vicinity.

There was silence, and the only thing that could be heard was the chirping of the various birds and insects that inhabited the forest. The wind blew in brief bursts of gentle breezes that kicked up dirt and other foreign particles into the man's emerald green eyes.

"So you didn't fall for the trap," the figure in the tree said, leaping off his perch, the sun's orange glow revealing a head of vibrant blond, almost yellow, hair. "It's been a long time, Jin."

He smirked. "Only a day, but anyway, we're not done, Naruto."

"How long are we gonna continue this shit. I could fucking kill you anytime I want," the blond said, his face now serious.

"Oh, I doubt it. Our little…scuffle before wasn't even serious."

"Damn, you know what the problem with all you fucking bounty hunters is?"

"Persistence. But I'm not a bounty hunter."

"Who the hell are you then?"

"I'm afraid that will have to wait."

"Then we're done here," the blond said, turning his back to the man and walking away.

The boy only took a step before instinctively sidestepping, avoiding a kunai that otherwise would've pierced his skull. When he turned around, emanating as much killing intent as humanely possible, Jin was gone.

"Shit!"

Jin materialized behind him, ready to take his head off. He sliced the wind with a kunai where Naruto's neck had been, but the blond crouched, thrusting a Hyōyari (Ice Spear) into the man's gut, blood squirting out onto Naruto and out of the exit wound.

Oddly enough, the redhead began chuckling, which soon turned into full-blown laughter, causing more blood to gush out of his wounds. He laughed while releasing killing intent, nearly causing Naruto to shiver with fear. While his fit of laughter died down, the man put his hands on the spear of ice and actually pulled himself closer to the blond.

In striking distance, Jin channeled chakra into his fist and punched Naruto in the face. Had the boy not moved his head back by mere inches, the force of the blow might've crushed his face, but the least of the injuries he suffered was a broken nose, which already began to heal. Jin was indeed fast; when Naruto recuperated, the man was gone. The blond eventually caught the movement of a shadow on the ground below him, so common sense told him to look up. Sure enough, Jin was above him, ready to put his katana through the boy's head. Naruto rolled aside as the blade slid through the dirt with ease. Within seconds, the boy used his chakra to condense the air around his arm, turning the appendage into a blade of his own.

"_Hmm, that's new. All I've seen him use was that damn ice," _Jin thought.

The boy punched the air with a right hook, the curved, protruding blade of wind easily slicing through Jin's katana. The redhead expressed no shock, rather, using the hilt end of the sliced katana to attempt to take Naruto's head off. He began ferociously attacking the boy, and he quickly realized that he had been forced to activate his Mangekyō Sharingan.

"_Ahh, a __dōjutsu! And it appears to be the famed Sharingan! What else does he have up his sleeve?"_

That's right, Naruto had attained his own Mangekyō Sharingan, of course after killing Sasuke in the finals so long ago. It's appearance was unlike any other Mangekyō Sharingan seen. Of course, they differ from person to person. It resembled a three-bladed shuriken with a large hole at the center and around it were three black circles.

He was actually quite impressed with himself for having been able to utilize it in a situation like this. When he first awakened it, he was nearly killed, ironically, fighting the same person he is now.

Naruto's mind unintentionally began to wander, taking his undivided focus off the fight for a mere moment. In that moment, he could feel the cold steel of Jin's katana pierce the flesh and muscle of his shoulder, just inches above his heart. With the blade now stationary, the boy thrusted another Hyōyari into the man's gut, except the one that ripped and tore through his body was wrought with prongs and countless protruding needles.

A malicious smirk cradled the man's bloodied lips. "So you can read my movements? Hm-hm, why don't I just take those goddamn eyes?"

Jin began to push his blade deeper into Naruto and feeling this, the blond retaliated by pushing his spear deeper.

"Looks like we're at a bit of a stalemate," Jin said with the most serious expression.

"Not quite," a voice responded from behind him.

The man felt a sharp cold on the back of his neck and realized that it was another Hyōyari. Somehow, Naruto had managed to produce a Kage Bunshin amidst the fight, while Jin never caught it. The clone threw Naruto a clever smirk, one saying that he should be praised for his divine intervention.

"I'm done," he said with a slight smile. "Nice job. Your fighting skills are almost exactly how he described."

"Who?" the blond asked, turning the spear in Jin's gut into water and his clone into smoke.

Right on cue, a man stepped out into view from behind a large tree as Naruto deactivated his Mangekyō Sharingan. The blond recognized the tan pants and matching knee-high boots he wore. He wore only a ninja vest with nothing under it, like Jin, except he had two large knives strapped to both sides of his waist. Most of all, the boy recognized the intricate blindfold the older man wore.

"You! But-" Naruto was shocked, but his visage was still stoic.

"I believe you guys have met before but didn't get to properly introduce yourselves," Jin said, apparently attempting to lighten the mood but doing the opposite.

"The name's Kensuke, but that's not the poi-"

"The point is how the hell did you do it?"

Kensuke slowly approached Naruto, a smirk on his face that told the boy he was intent on causing harm. "Does it…frighten you…that I'm back?"

"What makes you say that?"

"You're heart raced the moment you realized who I was; a sign of fear and anxiety."

"Whatever. So do I have to kill you again?"

"That won't be necessary. There are warrants for the lump of Ryō on your blond head. You've been around; I'm sure Orochimaru isn't the only one that wants you. It's not safe out here, kid," Kensuke said.

"You must not know who I am."

"I know full well who you are, and you're not safe out here. You'll have more security with _them_…besides, they could use someone like you."

"Who's them?"

Jin sneered while a moment of silence washed over the area. "Akatsuki."

* * *

_A day later, forest far from Konoha with Naruto Search and Rescue Squad, noon…_

"When in the hell is he going to pick up his scent?" a slightly pissed-off Shikamaru asked.

"When he gets close enough, man. Sheesh!" Kiba responded with a feisty attitude.

Akamaru barked three times, followed by a short bark. Of course, Kiba understood exactly what his faithful companion was telling him.

"He says he's picked up a scent but it's too faint to tell if it's Naruto's."

The leader mentally cursed, too lazy now to even walk. He wiped his brow as he could only imagine how their upcoming encounter with the blond would pan out. "Hey guys…what if what Hokage-sama said was true. Maybe we should kill-"

"No!" Sakura blurted. "I mean…there has to be another way. There just has to be."

"There might not be another way, Sakura. Besides, the gap of power between him and us…is huge. At some point, no one from Konoha will be able to take him toe to toe except Sasuke. We should just do it while we're ahead."

"I agree," Shino said, perhaps offering insight since he was almost killed by the blond.

Lee looked down to the ground while Ino, a later addition to the group, couldn't help but wipe the tears that began crawling down her face.

"I don't get it," Sakura said. "How can some of you be so ready to take a friend's life? I know why. None of you know him like I do. I practically grew up with him. We can't just decide to kill him right off the bat." She found her voice getting slightly shaky and her eyes began to water so she tried to calm herself down by utilizing her knowledge of rhythmic breathing patterns to lower stress.

"Fine, Sakura. Why don't you stand up to him? Feel what his killing intent is like," Shikamaru said, angered that no one agreed with his proposal, as he was the leader.

"If I have to do it alone, then I will."

"You don't have to, Sakura. I'll be by your side," Ino said, putting a hand on her shoulder.

"Y-yeah…me too," Hinata said softly, her gaze fixed to the ground.

Shikamaru stopped walking after something clicked.

Ino looked back, wondering why he wasn't keeping up. "Shikamaru don't be upse-"

"Nobody move," he said, the group only a couple of yards away when they turned to see what was wrong.

Neji activated his Byakugan. "Damn. He's been caught on a trap. He's stepped on a small lever that's attached to a several chakra-infused strings," he said, looking around, able to see every strand of string and the mechanisms they were hooked to. "If Shikamaru were to lift his foot, he'd instantly become a training dummy."

"Hmm, let me guess who set this trap," Shikamaru said with as much sarcasm as he could muster.

"It could've been anybody, Shikamaru!" Sakura shouted.

"I don't think I know anybody else who wants to kill us," he countered.

"Looks like you guys are starting to fall apart," a voice spoke from above. The group turned to acknowledge it, only to see a figure standing on a branch with his arms crossed. "I'm flattered I could be the cause of that."

"Naruto, get down here! We have to talk," Shikamaru said, rotating on the trap so he could face their former comrade.

"Can you hear me?"

"Yeah."

"Then you can talk to me."

"Look, you can't just go around doing anything you want. Someday, you're going to regret it."

"Well, that day has yet to come. Besides, I've just been offered a position in Akatsuki. I mean, the fun has yet to begin."

With that being said, Shikamaru boiled over. "AKATSUKI! Are you crazy? They're just going to use you then throw you away!"

Naruto chuckled. "That is _not _going to happen," he said with a cocky smirk.

Sakura stepped forward. "Naruto…please. You really don't have to do this."

"Sakura. How are you? Still in love with Sasuke?"

"Did you hear me?" she asked, raising her voice.

"Loud and clear. But there's something you have to understand. I really _need _to do this."

"What do you mean?" she asked.

"It's a secret."

"There you go. You can't keep secrets to yourself. Why don't you just tell us so we can help you?"

"I've already discussed this with Shikamaru, and I don't want to talk about my issues anymore."

"Now do you see, Sakura? He just can't be reasoned with," Shikamaru said.

A tear slid down Sakura's face. She almost didn't think she would be able to cope with the situation. The decision the group had to make was indeed a difficult one. Of course, it would be for the good of the village. But before they could do anything, they had to formulate some sort of strategy. Sakura thought about it all thoroughly, yet she just couldn't grasp the reality.

Then finally, an impatient Neji charged Shikamaru, pushing him off the trap. At that moment, hundreds of weapons flew out of the forest at speeds that were invisible to everyone except Neji. He almost immediately initiated his Hakkeshō Kaiten but not before having a senbon go through his right arm. "Get down!"

The weapons went every which way, almost killing and incapacitating several of the Chuunin. Naruto slid behind the trunk of the tree he stood on, avoiding many of the ricocheted weapons.

Amidst the commotion, Sakura jumped into the air, pulling her glove tighter on her hand. Channeling chakra into her fist, she punched a hole through the tree where Naruto's head had been. The boy had leaned in one direction, completely avoiding the blow. He grabbed her arm and slung her in the opposite direction. He formed his signature spear weapon, of course, throwing it afterwards. Just as the subzero weapon got within feet of her gut, Akamaru saved her life by playing a game of fetch.

"Alright, Akamaru!" Kiba yelled.

After leaping off a tree due to her momentum, Sakura threw several kunai at the blond, who stood with a smirk. Naruto waved his arms, commanding the razor sharp leaves within a 10 meter radius to attack her. With that, a thick blanket of bugs enveloped Sakura, protecting her until she landed. The moment the bugs dispersed, the blond was in her face. Sakura immediately panicked, shoving a kunai into his gut.

She looked down, observing the spear in her gut for an eternity before looking into the boy's bright, blue eyes.

A thin line of blood crawled out the side of her mouth and she began crying. "I-I'm…s-sorry…Naruto," she said softly and slowly.

He shook his head. "I'm not."

* * *

_Meanwhile…_

The figures of Orochimaru, Kabuto and Sasuke walked leisurely through a forest clearing, on their way to one of the many small communities that dotted Hi no Kuni. There were several wanted posters of Naruto hung on almost every tree in the area.

Something wasn't right.

Sasuke glanced around. "Come out! Now!"

Two figures materialized a few yards away, offset by the appearances and killing intent of the three. They eventually began emanating killing intent of their own, much to the surprise of the trio.

"Your perception is keen," Jin said to Sasuke.

"Damn, their killing intent is immense," Sasuke whispered to Orochimaru. "They could be a force to be reckoned with.

"It looks like you guys know the whereabouts of Naruto," Kabuto said.

"What do you want with him?" Jin asked.

"That's none of your business," Sasuke said, releasing even more killing intent.

"Well, you guys better hurry and get to him before it's too late," Jin said.

"Why?" Sasuke asked.

"I guess you'll find out soon enough," Kensuke said, gripping his knives in his hands.

Sasuke put his hand on the hilt of his katana, slightly unsheathing it.

He had been anxious for action for some time now…

* * *

_A/N: Good, right? I slightly rushed it at the end just because I wanted to get this damn thing released. Anyway, school is a bitch so I can't get any updating done, but I'll see what I can do. Storywise, we'll finally get to see what Sasuke is capable of, along with the two strangers, my OCs, Jin and Kensuke. We'll also get to see much more of Naruto. Again, I have a poll on my profile page asking if Naruto should join Akatsuki or not. So, that about wraps things up. Thanks for reading and don't forget to vote!_


	18. Invitation

_A/N: Hello, all and welcome back to the latest installment of **Leech**! Usually, I'd apologize for the extremely long wait, but it wasn't my fault. I blame life. Anyway, reading this chapter, you'll find that things are definitely starting to heat up. I've also included a couple of unexpected elements. Also, I had a poll asking if Naruto should join Akatsuki. More than half of the voters said YES! So he will be joining their ranks soon, no doubt about it. But before we get to the fic, I've got to answer some reviews:_

**_Ppsh: _**_Yeah, I see where you're coming from, but I've given it tons of thought and I've got everything just about planned out. As leeching other dojutsu go, Naruto will be unable to leech the Rinnegan, though he will still be able to sense it. That's one of the drawbacks of his kekkei genkai: he can't leech more than one dojutsu unless he somehow gets rid of his current one._

**_cryptozthunderlord: _**_I know what you're saying, and I've corrected that. Plus, to answer your other concern, of course Jin and Kensuke are members. It wouldn't make much sense if they weren't._

_Best not to keep the angry mob from waiting any longer..._

_Enjoy!_

**

* * *

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**Chapter 18: Invitation**

* * *

_Hokage's office..._

"So it appears that Naruto has successfully absorbed a kekkei genkai," Sarutobi said with a slightly raised brow. "Who knows how many others he could've absorbed...it's been three years," he finished, his voice trailing off in a reminiscent manner.

"He has to be stopped somehow, though, honestly, I have my doubts about what the team can do against him," Kakashi said with a slight shakiness in his voice.

"Well, for now, they're all we have," the elderly one said, staring off into space. "I certainly wish Orochimaru didn't kidnap Sasuke; his skills would be invaluable at this point, looking back at the Chuunin Exam Prelims."

"Yeah, considering the fact that I trained him," the silver-haired shinobi said with a smile, though Sarutobi couldn't see it through the thin veil of cloth that covered much of the Jonin's face. Nonetheless, he assumed Kakashi was attempting to make a joke, bragging about how well he trained the Uchiha, now a nuke-nin and enemy of Konoha. Sarutobi dismissed it and merely responded with a nod as he slumped into his large, ancient-looking chair.

Moments later, the door slammed open, nearly causing Sarutobi's pipe to find its way down his esophagus. He quickly regurgitated however, acting as if nothing awkward had happened. Shikamaru then appeared, stepping in with an air of urgency.

"Ahh, Shikamaru. Report," Sarutobi said, gently stroking his scraggy goatee as he exhaled a mediocre cloud of smoke.

The genius Chuunin found himself hesitant in finding his words, likely because he became nervous whenever he even thought about his ruthless adversary, but before Sarutobi could ask him what was bothering him, Shikamaru spoke, slowly at first. "We had an encounter with Naruto deep in the forest. We fought him after that, and the next thing we knew, Sakura's on the ground with a spear sticking out of her gut."

At that, Kakashi's mouth dropped. This incident was what he feared the most. Memories and flashbacks of the time they spent together as a team resurfaced back into Kakashi's already overwhelmed mind, comparable to news telling you a loved one has died. Anger and mixed emotions concerning his former pupil began building as he listened to Shikamaru describe their encounter with the blond, and unbeknownst to himself and the two others, he began trembling with surfacing anger.

"Where is she now?" Kakashi asked, attempting to mask his growing hatred for his former student.

"She's at the hospital...in a stable condition, at least. Weird thing is...the spear in her stomach hasn't even begun to melt yet," Shikamaru said with a confused expression pressed on his face. "and its been a day."

"Alright," Sarutobi said, rising from his chair. "Let's see how she's holding up."

* * *

_Later, Konoha Hospital..._

After seemingly an eternity in depression and darkness, Sakura finally opened her heavy eyelids, confused as to whether the welcoming faces of her squad comrades, her former sensei, and Sarutobi were merely a dream. She slowly looked over at the machine at her bedside, following the tubes that wound from the contraption into her body, carrying an unknown, clear substance into her body. She didn't dare touch them; they could be keeping her alive.

Moments later, and much to everyone's surprise, a medic-nin abruptly entered, breaking the reverberating silence with the slamming of the heavy wooden door. She wore the typical white uniform necessary for all medic-nin to wear, and also wore her warm, red hair in a tight, neat bun.

Sarutobi approached her, stroking his goatee. "So how's she doing?"

The woman set her clipboard down on the small table next to Sakura's bed after jotting some quick notes down. She then checked the machine next to Sakura before turning to the Hokage. "Well, her condition is normal...but the spear of ice in her gut...it won't melt. We've tried everything there is to try. Truthfully, I've never seen anything like this before, Hokage-sama."

"You people haven't thought about using a Katon?" he questioned, austerity engraved on his visage.

"Yes, but it would be too risky," she responded with a cold air.

"Not in the hands of a veteran," the elderly one promptly responded.

"It wouldn't work anyway," Neji broke in, his arms crossed and his Byakugan activated. "The spear is infused with his chakra. Remember back in the Chuunin Exam Preliminaries when Naruto fought Sasuke?"

"Yeah," Shikamaru responded, staring off into space. "Sasuke couldn't melt the ice that covered his body because he layered it with chakra."

"So the only way to destroy it is by shattering it," Neji added.

"There's no way we can do that without causing extensive interior damage," the woman stated, speaking slowly, assuming that the room full of shinobi may not understand her. "It may even kill her."

"It's okay everyone," Sakura breathed. "I'll live...but you guys still have a mission."

"That's right," Sarutobi said. "And I've changed my opinion on what the group should do with Naruto, and this is an order: kill him. Any questions?"

There was a moment of silence, enough time for the Chuunin to think about the severity of the situation before they answered with, "No, Hokage-sama."

"Good," he said. "And make sure you take _good _care of her," he told the medic-nin to her ear as he slipped through the door.

Soon afterward, the others began filing out after saying their goodbyes while Kakashi stayed with Sakura, his expression the epitome of austere. He stood at the foot of her bed, awkward silence filling the room, thinking of how fragile his former student used to be, now she lay in front of him with a spear in her gut.

"Kakashi-sensei-"

"Sakura, I told you to just call me-"

"No, I won't. You're still my sensei...you always will be."

He heaved a heavy sigh as he rubbed the back of his neck. "Look, about Naruto...I didn't mean for any of this to happen. You know that."

"I know...it's just...I don't understand what's gotten into him. He's completely changed," she said with a sniffle as a tear slid down the left side of her face. "He...isn't Naruto anymore."

"I know. Which is why he has to be stopped. You know about his...condition, right?"

"Condition?"

"Hokage-sama and I have discovered that Naruto has the ability to...absorb other abilities...maybe even kekkei genkai."

Sakura was speechless at first, remembering their conversation in the forest. "Is that Naruto's secret?" she inadvertently asked aloud.

"What?"

"I talked with Naruto...before he did this to me. He said he'd been keeping a secret, and it's because of that, that he had to leave."

"He said that?"

"Yeah."

_"Damn. I wish I knew what was going on in his head."_

"Kakashi-sensei...I...part of me wants him dead, but...part of me wants him next to me." At this point, Sakura had nearly brought herself to tears thinking of how desperately she wanted things to go back to normal. Her mind wandered back to the pre-Chuunin Exams days, when they used to train as a team.

Before his personality change.

Before the symptoms.

Before the hostility.

Before his defection.

Another tear slid down the side of her face, a darkened area now visible on her pillow where the tears had crashed as her mind ventured back to their first Bell Test. She sniffled. "I want to see him smile again...as a friend."

Kakashi observed Sakura's smooth, flawless face. Her lips trembled violently as she held in the rest of her tears. Kakashi, in an effort to console the girl, suddenly wrapped his arms around her, simultaneously lifting her partially out of her bed. Surprised at first, Sakura embraced the vice-grip the Jonin applied to her midsection. "I want things back as much as you do...but I know that won't happen," Kakashi finally said, feeling her face twitch and tremble against his. "As long as he's doing what he's doing...we'll never have him back."

She sniffled again, ready to just let it all out. "It hurts, Kakashi-sensei. It hurts so bad."

"I know how you feel. Your team knows how you feel," he said, releasing her.

"They didn't know him like I did."

"Sure they-"

"I was starting to like him!" she blurted, her face, almost completely saturated with tears, taking on a reddish hue and. She attempted to control her breathing the best she could so her emotions didn't get the best of her. Now calm, she said, "Before any of this...I-"

"What about Sasuke?"

"In the end, I realized that Ino had been more attracted to him than I was, besides, Sasuke had a superiority complex that just would've made things worse between us. I mean, I didn't know Naruto long enough to draw conclusions, but...I _felt _a connection between us...even if he didn't."

"I see. This is more of a personal issue for you. Well, if it's too much for you-"

"No! I never said I didn't want to help in his capture. I'm still part of the team. Besides, I can handle it; you trained me to," she said with slim grin.

Kakashi responded with a cheek-to-cheek smile, invisible to Sakura. "Rest up, Sakura."

The Jonin slowly turned his head toward the door as Sakura buried her head into the giant pillow beneath it. Using Shunshin, he stepped out of a puff of smoke right outside of Sakura's room. "Hiya, Hinata," he said the moment she turned to acknowledge the spontaneous creation of the cloud of smoke behind her.

"Oh," was all she said, looking down to the floor as she twirled her index fingers around each other, a nervous mechanism created as the result of a childhood habit.

"So I assume you overheard what Sakura and I were talking about?"

"Well...just about Naruto."

"What was of most concern to you in our conversation?"

Hinata didn't want to discuss it, especially with a superior figure. But she was caught eavesdropping; she had no choice but to tell him what she heard. "Well, you see, Sakura liked Naruto at the same time I developed feelings for him. As a matter fact, I had my eye on him long before she did." She had a reminiscent look in her visage that told the silver-haired man she too frequently thought about Naruto. A smile then cradled her thin lips, much to Kakashi's surprise. "I still remember a lot of his private training sessions. If you watched him...you could tell he was trying to prove something...like he was telling someone that he wasn't weak."

"And that's what you liked about him?"

"I liked him because he was one of the only few to acknowledge my existence. Nobody else really noticed me but Neji, and he treated me like dirt. Before he changed, he would say hi to me whenever he saw me. Nobody else did that."

"I see. So you and Sakura, at one point, had feelings for him."

There was silence, confirming Kakashi's assumption.

"Look, I uh-"

"Yeah, sure. Get some rest for mission day tomorrow, okay?"

She turned around to leave, stopping after only a few steps. "Thank you for listening, Kakashi-sensei." Then with that, she continued down the hall.

_"Naruto...if only you knew how much they miss you."_

* * *

_Meanwhile, forest far from Konoha; noon..._

The Uchiha's left hand was still on the hilt of his katana, and the two strangers they've encountered were still emanating killing intent. It was dense and hung somewhat thick in the air in their immediate vicinity. Nothing Orochimaru, Kabuto, and Sasuke couldn't handle.

"Spare yourselves the trouble," the Uchiha finally said. "Tell us where Naruto is!"

Jin smirked, his head of red hair reflecting the sun's rays. "He'll be in good hands."

"Fuck!" Sasuke blurted as he charged the redhead. "If you don't want to talk then I'll make you!"

In an instant, Sasuke became a blur right before Jin's emerald green eyes. He reappeared behind him, and Jin could feel the cold steel of Sasuke's katana against the back of his neck.

_"He's only a kid. What speed." _Jin thought.

"Nice blades," he said in the man's ear, eying the twin katanas that were sheathed to his back. "I'm not gonna ask you again."

"Then you might as well kill me."

Just as Sasuke was about to shove his four-foot katana through Jin's neck, Kensuke intervened, kicking the blade upward. At that instant, Jin leaned his body forward, simultaneously kicking Sasuke in the gut, which sent him flying about ten meters into a thick brush. His katana landed next to him, the blade in the dirt only inches from his left eye.

Kabuto then took action, throwing a slew of kunai at the blind Kensuke. He managed to deflect them with his knives in one swift motion, countering with several shuriken of his own. Kabuto jumped into the air, pelting the area Kensuke had been with even more projectiles. He swiftly rolled out of the way and threw both of his curved knives at the airborne shinobi.

_"Shit!" _Kabuto thought as the knives sliced through the left side of his midsection and his right thigh.

As if that weren't enough, the knives returned to Kensuke in an instant, giving him sufficient enough time to hurl them at his adversary once more. As the knives flew through the air, two thin snakes appeared out of nowhere, grabbing the knives in midair with their powerful jaws and saving Kabuto from an otherwise fatal injury.

_"So he really is the Hebi-Sennin," _Kensuke thought, following the snakes into Orochimaru's sleeves.

He produced two kunai and leapt into the air, slicing both snakes' heads off at the same time and catching his blades before they touched the ground.

At that moment, Jin flew out of the brush he had kicked Sasuke into, and the all-too familiar sound of chirping birds soon reverberated throughout the forest, accompanying the heavy breathing, rusting leaves, and ever-present cicadas.

"Kabuto, move!" Orochimaru shouted.

"Already ahead of you!" he shouted as he leapt out of the way, narrowly avoiding the Chidori's direct path of destruction.

Sasuke clearly had his eyes set on Jin, who'd never seen that kind of attack before. With no knowledge of how to defend against such an attack, and much too late to dodge it, he instantly channeled much of his body's chakra into his right fist, which he then collided with Sasuke's electrified hand. In that instant, a blast was created that cleared an area of at least 30 feet in diameter. Uprooted trees and portions of overturned earth were all that was left in its wake.

The Uchiha, face-up on the ground, quickly opened his eyes, an airborne Jin above him with katana in hand, ready to impale the boy where he lay. He swiftly formed the seven required handseals for his signature jutsu before puckering his lips, releasing a massive fireball that engulfed the shinobi above him, also setting much of the upper canopy ablaze. At that moment, a log fell from the flames, sliced in half by Sasuke's katana before it hit the ground. Seconds later, Jin materialized behind him, slashing both of his katanas where the boy's neck had been in an outward motion. Instinctively crouching, he slashed at the tendons and cartilage that were located in various areas of his knees and legs. With that, the man cursed inaudibly as he immediately toppled in a pool of blood.

* * *

_With Orochimaru and Kabuto..._

Luckily, the ever-intense ball of fire hung high in the air for what seemed like days, signifying noon, and the lasting sunshine gave Orochimaru and Kabuto enough hope and time to kill their adversary.

A dangerous adversary at that.

Orochimaru and Kabuto stood next to each other, panting, though Kabuto was the only one between them to display any signs of fatigue, as his posture had changed and he was perspiring quite profusely.

"Stay on guard; this one is quite the challenge," Orochimaru hissed as he stood with his fists clenched. "As a matter fact, stand behind me. We'll watch each others back."

Kabuto did as he was instructed and put his back against his superior's. At least that way, the blind shinobi wouldn't be able to take them by surprise, though at the moment, the duo had no idea where he was.

Suddenly, Orochimaru released several concealed snakes, as if striking at an invisible object. Then he knelt down on one knee as he clutched his bleeding gut.

"Orochimaru-sama, are you alright back there?"

The Hebi-Sennin cursed. "I'm fine. Focus on the enemy."

Forming a handseal as he stood to his feet, Orochimaru managed to create ten Kage Bunshin that surrounded them in a protective circle. "We should be able to track his movements now, even if for a moment if he attacks one. We just have to act quicker."

Kabuto then formed a single handseal before looking back at Orochimaru for confirmation. He nodded. "Nehan Shōja no Jutsu." (Temple of Nirvana Technique)

Upon use of the genjutsu, hundreds of thousands of feathers began floating down from the upper canopy of the forest, each landing gently on the rough earth below. The oddly enchanting feathers spanned a rather wide area, falling in areas several miles away. Orochimaru managed to dispel it, but after several minutes, their assumptions were beginning to solidify.

"Damn, he's most likely dispelled it," Orochimaru finally said.

"I was thinking the same thing."

Suddenly, one of the Kage Bunshin in front of Kabuto vanished in a small cloud of smoke, with the rest following suit just seconds later. Orochimaru's eyes bulged, and when the Kage Bunshin in front of him vanished, he took action, releasing several concealed snakes within both of his sleeves. The Hebi-Sennin smirked. "Now, that wasn't very smart."

* * *

_With Sasuke..._

With his hand still on the hilt of his katana, the Uchiha slowly approached the seemingly lifeless body of Jin, his head of red hair scattered over his head. He unsheathed his katana before kneeling down next to him. "What did I tell you?" Sasuke asked the man before unhesitatingly shoving his blade into his throat.

With that, a large round boulder materialized from within the all-too familiar cloud of smoke, explosive tags riddling its surface.

_"SHIT!"_

There was no use in even attempting to escape the blast; he was too close. The boy held his arms out in front of himself, crossing them to form an "X" as he prepared for the point-blank blast. Seconds later, the boulder exploded, sending Sasuke tumbling back across the dirt and blasting chunks of rock into all directions.

Yards away and on his face, the Uchiha could feel the cold steel of two katanas pierce the muscle and flesh of his back, so that the blades went through his body and into the ground, narrowly missing his ribs and lungs.

"Why are you fighting to protect him?" Sasuke asked, unintentionally licking the ground as he spoke. "He's nothing special!"

Jin smirked. "Do you really think this is about Naruto anymore? I merely suggested where he should go next; the kid's on his own now."

"You don't know where your leading him."

"What makes you say that?"

"We have a score to settle. You don't get it. I _have_ to know where he is."

"I'm afraid I can't allow that. They need him."

"Who needs him?"

There was a moment of silence as the man contemplated an answer, though he already had his response completely thought out and on the tip of his tongue. Feeling Sasuke didn't deserve to know, Jin rotated both of his katanas that went through the boy's body, a smug expression on his face. Sasuke couldn't help but let out a low grunt in pain.

"Fuck! I had enough of this!"

Sasuke's anger seemed to envelope the area, as Jin flinched at the sudden spike in killing intent. He used Chidori Nagashi (One Thousand Birds Current) to send a powerful electrical current through Jin's katanas, as well as cause additional damage with the electrical discharges straight from his body. He let out a grunt of pain as he fell to his knees, his body immobilized by the continuous surge of electricity to his body's nervous system.

Completely defenseless, Jin was at the mercy of one of the most dangerous shinobi in Hi no Kuni...

* * *

_With Orochimaru and Kabuto..._

"Your friend is most likely dead by now," Orochimaru said to Kensuke's face, his snakes restraining his body in a deadly grip. "You might as well just give us some information before I kill you."

Kensuke was silent. The snakes increased their killing grip on the blind man in accordance with Orochimaru's gradually increasing killing intent.

"I'm not afraid of death," Kensuke said. "I've been down that road far too many times. This will be just another ride."

Orochimaru and Kabuto were instantly made skeptical. He was too calm in this situation, while anybody else would be in a panic by now.

_"Is he bluffing? Even if he isn't, it's still a lose-lose situation for him," _Kabuto thought.

Orochimaru smirked, impressed by Kensuke's confidence, but not able to buy the fact that he's died before.

"Aren't you going to kill me?" Kensuke asked.

"Kabuto, hold him."

"Orochimaru-sama, what are you planning?"

"An experiment."

Orochimaru proceeded to form an awkward handseal, one that Kabuto had never seen him use before. His fingers were clearly contorted and looked as if they were double jointed, even broken. His eyes bulged at the amount of killing intent Orochimaru was emanating as his canines grew in length and neck slightly elongated.

That was enough to tell Kabuto of what his superior had been planning to do all along. "Orochimaru-sama, I thought you were just going to kill him?"

He responded with a slim smirk before saying, "If his will isn't strong enough, my Makai no Juin (Cursed Seal of Hell) will take care of that for me."

"Makai no Juin?"

"I've been saving this Juinjutsu for Naruto, but he has proven himself quite elusive, as well as a very formidable opponent. For now, this one will have to do."

"You're going to use him to find Naruto?"

"Something like that. And when Naruto falls victim to my Cursed Seal, Sasuke will have his precious eyes. After that, I'll brand Naruto and use its power to revitalize his body, bringing him back to life, Cursed Seal and all. Then, he'll belong to me. Hmm, just thinking of how powerful he'll be sends chills down my spine."

"That might be a bad idea. Sasuke really wants Naruto for himself."

"Don't worry. Naruto won't be the only one to die by this Seal."

"What do you mean?"

Another smirk cradled the Hebi-Sennin's thin lips. "Let's just say...we'll be infiltrating Konoha once again for some..._unfinished _business."

And with that, Orochimaru proceeded to extend his neck, branding Kensuke with the deadly Makai no Juin as he sunk his fangs into the familiar location on his neck...

* * *

_The next day, Konoha main gate..._

Ironically, the last one to show up at the village gate was the group leader, Shikamaru, his face so serious, a few of his comrades thought he had actually witnessed a death.

"Shikamaru, what's wrong?" Ino asked as he approached.

He looked up, observing the caring faces of his team. Looking at them made him proud to be their leader, but he's had plenty of time to contemplate the severity of today's mission.

In truth, Shikamaru was frightened.

Not so much scared out of his mind, but frightened at the concept of losing another comrade to his former one. Perhaps what scared him the most was Naruto's killing intent. How could an old friend release so much killing intent and be so ready to kill his friends? His family? Shikamaru has asked himself that question day in and day out and has never been able to find an answer. After awhile, he became quite confident that there wasn't an answer. Though slightly shaken up, being around his comrades usually calmed his nerves, and this moment was no exception.

"I'm fine," he responded. "I just came from Sakura's room. Seeing her makes me upset, that's all."

"Well, get your damn head in the game, man," Kiba said, flashing the thumbs-up. "We're going on a hunt."

Shikamaru attempted to muster a smile, or at least a smirk but found it to be quite difficult; apparently, the mission was getting to him. _"Great, how would they feel if their leader was nothing but a little bitch?"_

After a moment of awkward silence, the group began their departure, passing through the humungous, overly-decorated village gate into another world: the real world.

* * *

_Meanwhile, unknown village several miles south of Konoha..._

Though it was around noon and the sun hung high in the sky, it was quite cool, most likely due to the gentle breezes and wide shadow areas cast by the expanse of forest trees that surrounded the village. However, the overabundance of human activity made close proximity quite uncomfortable, even for the lone figure that pushed through the crowd of bodies.

_"Damn, I feel another one, but it's nowhere near here."_

The figure's head of bright blond, almost yellow hair attracted quite an amount of attention, as he had eventually become the focal point of the small village, every person staring at him like he was some sort of monster. Whenever he looked at someone, they turned away before they made eye contact. Mothers and fathers pulled their children in close as they stared in fear at the figure that quietly made his way through the crowded walkways.

He liked the look in others' eyes when they looked at him.

It was a look of terror.

A smirk unintentionally appeared on his face as he stared down a pair of young siblings, resisting the temptation to emanate killing intent just for the hell of it. Their mother sat adjacent to them, pulling them closer as she looked up at the boy's ocean blue eyes.

"You must be Naruto," a female voice called from behind him.

"What if I am?" he asked, not turning to acknowledge the voice.

"Hmph, there's no mistaking that blond hair of yours."

Naruto heaved a heavy sigh as he turned around to face the stranger. What he saw wasn't anywhere near what he expected. The young woman, who looked to be around 18 years old, was a very attractive one. She had long, flowing black hair that draped over her shoulders, complemented by smooth, flawless skin. Naruto looked into her eyes, lost in a perpetual sea of hazel. Observing her body, she wore a typical green shinobi vest with black long sleeves and tight, almost legging-like pants with shinobi sandals. He also noticed that she didn't carry any weapons except for several shuriken holsters and hip pouches she had tied around her midsection.

She smirked, realizing he was awestruck. "Like what you see?" she asked, putting her hands on her hips.

"Look, what do you want? The bounty on my head? Because I guarantee you won't get it."

"I want you to come with me. There's something I would like to show you."

Naruto followed, skeptical as to what her motives for finding him were if she didn't want to kill him.

* * *

_Later..._

She had led Naruto back to her small apartment, which looked to be only large enough to support the one person that lived in it. It only had two rooms, a bedroom as soon as one entered and a kitchen adjacent to it.

In the bedroom, Naruto pulled the woman's slender body closer as she approached, holding her around her waist as she pulled her shirt over her head, revealing her breasts. The boy was amazed at what was before him. He thought her body was perfect.

She moved in closer, removing his black trench coat, then his matching shinobi vest. She gently rubbed the Hakke no Fūin Shiki (Eight Trigrams Sealing Style) located on his stomach, then looked up at him, as if asking him what it was.

"It's a very special Seal. I'll just leave it at that."

"You can't tell me more?"

"Sorry."

She proceeded to wrap her arms around him, kissing his chest. With that, Naruto lifted her off the floor, while she wrapped her legs around him at the same time. He then placed her softly on the large bed behind her as he kissed her chest, while she busily removed his pants.

"So, what do I call you?" he asked.

"Kiyomi," she responded, pulling his pants below his waist.

"So, Kiyomi, why the sudden interest?"

"I want you, Naruto. There's just something about you that I'm so attracted to. I know you've done some terrible things; you wouldn't have a bounty like that if you didn't. You have a dark side...and I like that."

"Have you-?"

"Been trailing you? Spying on you? Stalking you? Call it whatever you want. I admit...I have been...for some time now," she said with a wide grin.

"What do you want from me?"

"I already told you. I want you. I want to be with you."

"Sorry, but I work completely alone."

She pulled him closer, Naruto's chest on her's. She began kissing his neck and chest while he caressed her smooth body. "Is there any reason why I can't accompany you?"

"I've...just got too much on my plate right now."

"What do you mean?"

"I can't go into details, alright? It's something I've been keeping to myself for some time and I intend to keep it that way."

Kiyomi made a face that told him she utterly disagreed with his choice. Nonetheless, she slipped the bed coverings over them both as they embraced each other in a sea of silk...

* * *

_Meanwhile, with Orochimaru, Sasuke, and Kabuto..._

Sasuke appeared, stepping out of the brush behind Orochimaru and Kabuto.

"I trust you've gotten rid of the pest?" Orochimaru asked, not turning to face his pupil.

Sasuke answered with a nod and approached them, realizing something at their feet was attracting all of their attention. He stepped between them, observing the man below them as he violently convulsed in the dirt. Kensuke's skin was extremely pale, almost ghostly white, and the area where Orochimaru bit him was bleeding and took on a dark crimson color.

Sasuke looked up at his superior. "Orochimaru, is that-?"

"A Curse Seal? Yes it is."

Sasuke observed the mark on the back of the man's neck, noticing that it almost didn't differ too much from his. The Seal was composed of three markings that resembled backward sixes, but in each of the holes was a dot. "What's going on?"

"His body and mind are trying to adjust to the toxins in the Seal, so his body is going into shock. Damn, who knows how long this is going to last."

"It looks different than mine."

"That's because it is different than yours. It's the Makai no Juin."

"If my Curse Seal has a 10 percent survival rate, I'm sure this one has to kill him."

"Not exactly. If his will is strong, like yours, then he'll survive. If not, I'll just have to find another subject."

There was a moment of silence, so Orochimaru continued. "Which is why we're going back into Konoha."

"How many people are you planning to brand?" Sasuke asked.

Orochimaru could only respond with a smirk...

* * *

_With Naruto, grassland several miles south of Konoha..._

_"Damn, I hate to leave her behind without saying anything, but I have to do this alone."_

Naruto spontaneously ducked, avoiding decapitation by a kunai. He quickly turned on heel, observing the slender, sexy figure that was Kiyomi. Her face was noticeably red, and it was clear that his sudden absence upset her.

"What the hell are you doing and how did you find me?"

"I told you, Naruto, I want you! Why would you leave me?"

Naruto approached her, but he only took one step before she had a kunai in her hand. His eyes slightly bulged. _"What? I didn't see her hand move!"_

"Why?"

"Look, Akatsuki sent two of their own to find me. They told me that they could use someone with my skills. So, I'm going to put them to the test."

"What else are you hiding?"

"What are you talking about?"

In fact, Naruto knew full well what she was asking, but he didn't intend on saying anything about Hittakuru. He remained silent and stoic, just to see what her reaction would be.

"You're hiding something, and if you tell me you aren't, then you're lying. I know it."

The boy questioned her abilities. It seemed she could probably feel a person's heartbeat and discern any discrepancies that way, like Kensuke.

"I'm going to say this and leave it at this, okay? What I do, how I do it, and what I'm hiding is none of your damn business. So stay the fuck away from me!"

With that, Naruto turned to leave. A livid Kiyomi threw her kunai with terrifying speed, but the blades of grass that shielded him from the projectile were faster. She wasn't surprised. "There's nowhere you can go. I'll always find you...because I'm a Kanchi taipu (Sensor)."

Naruto came to an abrupt halt.

"Not only that, but I can take you to Akatsuki."

Naruto became somewhat excited. If she was a Kanchi taipu, having her as an ally would be invaluable, as they would be able to accurately pinpoint the location of potentially every kekkei genkai on the planet.

Of course, he wanted to make sure that she could hold her own...

* * *

_A/N: BTW, everybody, if you want to know what the Cursed Seal of Hell looks like, I'll have a picture of it posted on my profile page._


	19. Welcome

_A/N: Welcome back, everybody! If you've read the story up to this point, I apologize for the extremely long wait. Once again, I blame life. As for the story, I hope you guys like it as much as I did. Trust me, it's just going to keep getting better, and I don't say that for every fic. To the main point, I had a poll on my profile asking if you guys wanted to see Naruto in Akatsuki, and almost half the voters said YES! I don't want to give away too much else so I'll let you get to the fic, but first I've got to answer a review:_

**_Ie-maru_****__****: **_No the sensor ability isn't a bloodline, it's simply a classification. I don't want to give away too much about her yet, but I will say that while there are similarities between them, Kiyomi's sensor ability is nowhere near as potent as Karin's, though with concentration and more training it very well could be._

_Now, without further ado..._

* * *

**Chapter 19: Welcome**

She ran as fast as her blistered and bleeding feet could carry her. Instantaneously returning to reality, she found that she was running barefoot down a corridor that seemed to go on forever, the only illumination being the candles on both sides that lit it to a decent degree. The sprinting female was Sakura, her face a bright red with fatigue and fright. Why was she afraid? She was running from her worst nightmare, and she could barely remember how she got here in the first place. After a few more minutes of running, she began to realize that her body was starting to succumb to the fatigue of running at a full sprint for what could now be several hours.

She turned to face her pursuer, the blond just a few feet behind her. She wanted to shout out at the deranged shinobi, to tell him to give his chase up, to tell him how she truly felt about him, but she couldn't utter a word, and every attempt thereafter was futile.

Naruto, who seemed like he would never give up the relentless pursuit, had a bloodthirsty look on his visage and in his eyes, which were bulged with the excitement and joy only a maniac can obtain from merciless killing.

Just when she thought she was going to give in, a bright light at the end of the corridor caught her eye, giving her the motivation she needed to keep going beyond her body's stopping point. She ran into the room, surrounded by nothing but brilliant, white light, but was met with another obstacle, to which she stopped at the sight.

Standing just a few feet away, the one before her threw her a slight smirk as he put his hand on the hilt of his katana.

"What's the matter, Sakura? You look like you've just seen a ghost," he said, taking note of her heavy breathing.

She wanted to respond, but found that her vocal cords were still inoperable. _"Sasuke? What's he doing here?"_

"What's wrong?" he said, a slim smirk planted on his face. "Cat got your tongue?"

Sakura heard footsteps behind her and stepped out of the way as Naruto approached her from behind. The blond shot glances from her and Sasuke as he approached them. "Sasuke, what are you doing here?"

"Just wanted to say hi to a couple of old teammates," he responded, his voice slightly monotone.

"Seriously."

With that, Sasuke's expression immediately went from playful to serious. "I want her," he said, unsheathing his katana with blinding speed and pointing it towards the pink-haired girl, the tip of the blade just inches from her left temple.

"That's not gonna happen."

"Why the hell not?"

"Because we want the same thing."

Sakura's eyes bulged out of their sockets, and she found it increasingly difficult to breathe. _"This can't be happening."_

Suddenly, the entirety of the white room became enveloped in a thick blanket of killing intent, coupled with the malice-filled chakra of the Kyuubi and the activation of Sasuke's Curse Seal. As they both became shrouded in their respective cloaks of chakra, ethereal figures began to take form behind them, in a way, representing them.

Behind Naruto was the Kyuubi no Kitsune, in all of its terrifying glory.

Behind Sasuke was a humongous snake, its narrow, black pupils resembling something of a black hole, taking in everything it saw, making escape from its piercing gaze virtually impossible.

Scared almost out of her mind, Sakura fell to her knees and put her forehead to the floor, her hands over her face. Tears formed in her eyes and one slid down the contour of her smooth face, crashing to the floor. At that moment, like dropping a stone into a pool of water, ripples distorted the reality from where the tear had landed until there was nothing.

* * *

_Konoha Hospital, 10 AM…_

Sakura jumped up from her slumber, sweating profusely, evident by the fact that her face and the collar of her shirt were visibly saturated. She made an attempt to calm her sporadic breathing, but to no avail, and noticing many consecutive low beeps at her side, she looked over and saw that her heart rate monitor was going crazy.

Beep, beep, beep, beep, beep, beep, beep, beep, beep, beep.

She slowly turned her sore neck to the window, observing the world beyond her hospital bed. The window was open and a gentle breeze caressed her, but she was still burning up.

She looked over at the door. It was closed, but Kakashi was leaned against the frame with his arms crossed, his expression hidden by the mask of cloth that covered much of his face.

"K-Kakashi-sensei!" she blurted, quite astounded.

"Must've been quite a dream…or a nightmare," he said, attempting to keep the tone in his voice low.

"It's noth-"

"It's about Naruto, right?"

Beep…beep…beep…beep…beep…beep…beep…beep…beep.

She found herself hesitant in her response, as well as reluctant. Either that or she just had a hard time admitting that she had a nightmare about Naruto, and given the prolonged silence, Kakashi was beginning to believe the latter.

"Y-yeah," she replied softly, looking at her stomach and noticing the spear of ice that protruded from her gut. "I can't…I can't help it."

"Sakura, you're afraid, but eventually we all have to come face-to-face with our fears."

"I know that, Kakashi-sensei, but…there's something else. Naruto wasn't the only one in the dream. Sasuke was there too."

Beep, beep…beep, beep…beep, beep…beep, beep…beep, beep.

"So you have a subconscious fear of Sasuke too, huh? Look, how do you think the rest of the team feels? Yet they're out there putting their lives on the line hunting Naruto down. They're afraid too, I know it. The look on Shikimaru's face gives it away, but like I said, you have to face it," the Jonin said, releasing a soft sigh as he vanished in a cloud of smoke.

Sakura caressed the spear in her gut as a tear slid down the side of her face. "Until recently, I was out there too."

* * *

_Meanwhile, Orochimaru's hideout…_

The lean figures of Orochimaru, Sasuke, and Kabuto stood together in a large, darkened room, only illuminated by the soft glow of the computer screens that surrounded them. They stood before a table of sorts, observing the man whose arms, legs, and torso were strapped down to it. His bright red face was visibly soaking with sweat and he was also violently convulsing, occasionally releasing grunts and groans of pain and agony as his body contorted in a variety of ways. His convulsions would, every so often, die down before they resumed, increasing in frequency and duration.

Kabuto jotted a few notes down and typed some things on several of the computers before him before turning to observe the Hebi-Sennin's latest victim of the Curse Seal. "He's been in this state for hours, Orochimaru. I'm starting to believe he won't make it," he said, a glare on his glasses making his eyes invisible.

He smirked. "We'll see," the Sennin responded.

"Even if he does survive the process, what do plan on doing with him?" Sasuke asked.

"We're going to find Naruto," he replied, his lips still furled in a smirk, "and get back what he stole. But for now, we have business to tend to in Konoha."

* * *

_Hokage's Office…_

Sarutobi, engrossed in piles of paperwork, heaved a heavy sigh before he heard the sound of rushing wind before his desk. He looked up, greeted by the figure of Kakashi. "Kakashi, could you start using Shunshin a little further from my desk?" he asked, picking up some fallen papers and folders.

"It's Sakura," he said, taking a seat on the small bench to his left. "She's been having nightmares. She's starting to worry me a little bit. I mean, the spear in her gut won't melt unless we find Naruto. So who knows how long she'll be inactive."

"Hmm, how long has this been going on?" Sarutobi asked, taking a puff of his pipe and producing a large cloud of smoke.

"I don't know. She told me just before I came here. Look, I just don't think some of them are ready to handle something of this magnitude."

"So you want me to retract what I've said? No, you see, I selected them because they were the best, that includes Sakura. It's time they faced their fears, and it's time you stop worrying."

Kakashi's gaze was no longer fixed on the floor, but on Sarutobi's rough, wrinkled face. "You're right."

The Hokage nodded. "The only thing we can do for Sakura is to reassure her that Naruto will be found and brought back. Then we can make some sense of all this."

"I agree," was all Kakashi had to say, slowly exiting the room afterwards.

* * *

_With the Naruto Search and Rescue Squad, unknown location; noon…_

The group, after traveling for quite some time, had taken a brief break in a large forest clearing. It had to be around noon, judging by the sun's position in the sky. The golden rays had a difficult time piercing the upper canopy of the forest as to render it darker on the lower levels.

Shikamaru, resting against a large tree, wiped his brow. "Kiba, how much farther?"

Kiba turned to Akamaru, who was quite occupied with licking his genitals. He threw his companion a look of disgust before giving him a pat on the head. "How much farther, Akamaru?"

The canine replied with four barks that were followed by a howl. He immediately went back to cleaning himself afterwards.

"He said the scent is stronger heading south."

"Good to hear."

Ino, seated on a low hanging branch next to Akamaru, shot the dog a look of utter disgust and resentment. "Do all males clean themselves like that?"

Kiba leaned against the tree with his arms crossed, now below her. His lips formed a distinct smirk that revealed his distinguished canines. "Are all females senseless bitches?" he jokingly asked.

"How can that dog tolerate you?" she asked, her brow furled.

* * *

_With Naruto and Kiyomi…_

The blond shinobi and the black-haired kunoichi appeared to be having a stare-off, as no verbal communication had been conveyed between the two for quite some time now. A powerful breeze blew, the vegetation at their feet dancing in the wind and nearly knocking the duo off balance. Naruto tried his best not to blink as foreign contaminants were blown into his eyes. He squinted slightly as he pondered the young woman's thoughts. Did she really know the location of Akatsuki? Was she truly a Sensor? He knew he would find out eventually anyway.

"Naruto, what is this?" she asked, inadvertently sounding innocent.

"A test," he replied, clearing his throat afterwards.

"For what?"

"I have a philosophy: the best way to get to know someone, is to fight them."

Kiyomi was confounded, and her expression on her face told Naruto just that. She then threw a smirk, which the blond returned with a slight one of his own. "You know…I don't play nice," she said, apparently going along with it.

"Good," he said, zipping a kunai into his hand and throwing it with blinding speed.

Kiyomi followed suit, throwing a kunai of her own that met his in midair with a reverberating clang. Naruto was already behind her though, and he attempted to decapitate her where she stood. She crouched just in time, sweep kicking the boy off his feet. Now on his back, he watched as she leapt into the air with kunai in hand. He rolled out of the way just moments before she landed, and he produced two more kunai aimed for the lethal points. She deflected both of them with a single kunai, a smirk on her face as she did so.

"_Impressive."_

She threw a kunai aimed for the boy's neck as she charged him, but once in striking distance, she flipped over him, rotating her slender body with her legs straight upward as she did so. Though he managed to avoid a quick death by the kunai, Kiyomi was behind him and ready to deliver the killing strike, three senbon in between her fingers. She went in for a lightning fast thrust but was stopped by a wall comprised of vegetation, saving the boy's life.

"_The grass…saved him! How?"_

The boy slowly turned to the girl, a smug expression planted on his face. "You look surprised. I've got a lot of tricks up my sleeve."

With that, every blade of grass was targeted on Kiyomi, slicing through and piercing the flesh on her arms, legs, and face. Utilizing her amazing speed, the girl managed to outrun the onslaught of killer grass, for awhile at least, before she found herself caught in the attack once again, her body now horribly cut and scarred.

"_It's no use! This could go on all day!"_

After a few more minutes, the attack finally ceased. Naruto, by choice, had decided to stop it.

"I want to keep this going for a little while longer," he said, forming his signature handseal and producing a kage bunshin.

Kiyomi responded by throwing a slew of kunai and senbon at them both, but they simply leapt into the air, avoiding the devastating attack. The clone threw several kunai while the original was already holding a Hyōyari (Ice Spear).

"_He's impressive! A weapon made of ice. I didn't think __Hyōton existed in Hi no Kuni. I can't wait to see what else he's got."_

Kiyomi didn't bother deflecting the incoming kunai but instead rolled out of the way as to avoid the spear as well, which shattered into thousands of miniscule shards when it made contact with the ground. She leapt over him, throwing a slew of kunai, shuriken, and senbon, which were blocked only seconds later by a disc composed entirely of ice.

Naruto lowered the disc, revealing the expression of bloodlust that was concealed behind it. "Hyōenban (Ice Disc)," the boy stated, his kage bunshin throwing her an air kiss. "And there's still more to come."

With that, the girl became instantly aroused, though she didn't convey any hint of her sexual attraction to where Naruto could see it. "Show me more, Naruto. Please show me more."

The blond anxiously obeyed and hurled his weapon at the infatuated female like a frisbee. She stood in place, narrowly dodging the disc by leaning her body back so that she was parallel to the ground, but the kage bunshin was already in the air with a spear over his head. The girl put her hands on the ground, doing a spine-breaking backflip to avoid instant death while simultaneously kicking the spear out of his hands.

When she rose, Naruto was in her face, the tip of his kunai on her throat. "The rest is gonna have to wait. You passed," he said, holding out his hand for a handshake as a thin smile cradled his lips.

Kiyomi looked down at his hand like she was ready to tear it off. Reluctantly giving him a handshake, she slammed the boy to the ground with enough force to kick up a large cloud of dirt. With blinding speed, she appeared over him, gently placing the tip of her kunai on his throat. "How does it feel, huh?…to be defenseless?"

Naruto couldn't help but smile. "I haven't felt this way in quite some time actually."

She eased the kunai away from the boy's neck and put herself on top of him, leaning forward so that she was in his ear. "So when can I expect to see more out of you," she said softly, slowly licking the side of his face.

"Take me to Akatsuki, and it'll be really soon."

* * *

_A few hours later, in Sunagakure…_

"We haven't had any word or contact from Konoha since that damn failed invasion," the red-headed Gaara stated, setting aside several stacks of paperwork. "I don't want them thinking that we're holding a grudge or anything because of the peace treaty."

"So what do you wanna do?" Kankuro asked.

"I was planning on making a visit. The Hokage will be expecting us."

"Cool, I haven't been to Konoha in three years, man."

"None of us have been to Konoha in three years, stupid-ass," Temari said.

Kankuro threw his sister a look of resentment, at least for the moment. "What were you guys gonna talk about?"

"We were going to discuss the whereabouts of their two nuke-nin, Naruto and Sasuke. It seemed like our failure may have caused their defection, and since I was supposed to be the brunt of the attack, I can't help but feel guilty."

"C'mon, Gaara. It was Oto's fail-"

"It was as much our failure than it was theirs," Gaara interrupted.

"All I'm saying is that you shouldn't feel that way anymore," Temari said.

"But I do, which is why we're going to assist in finding them. They've already dispatched quite a powerful team, so we'll be able to cover more ground in less time, and we'll be prepared for what they'll throw at us."

Temari's expression eventually turned to one of sadness and sympathy. "Gaara, you think you're going to be okay?"

"I'm not going to let it control me," he responded, rising from his chair. "I've outgrown it."

* * *

_With Orochimaru, Sasuke, and Kabuto, Konoha Main Gate…_

The Hebi-Sennin slowly looked up at the enormous gate with an air of reminiscence. He took in the sight of Konoha, his former home and observed the many figures that stood guard atop the gate and along the outer walls. "This isn't going to be easy," he said, a grin on his pale face.

"Never is," Sasuke responded, his hand on the hilt of his katana.

Among the guardian shinobi was Genma, who observed Orochimaru with the most hateful look he could muster. "Tell Hokage-sama that Orochimaru is here," he said to the shinobi next to him, adjusting the senbon in his mouth.

The shinobi vanished, and with that, Orochimaru spoke, looking directly at the Chūnin Exam proctor, his eyes revealing his surfacing bloodlust. "So you plan on informing the old man of our presence, huh? Now what good is that going to do?"

"Your invasion failed last time, so what makes you think you'll succeed this time?"

"Oh, the invasion didn't fail. You see, I have what I wanted," he said, placing a hand on Sasuke's shoulder.

Genma's eyes widened. "I almost didn't recognize him. It's Sasuke! What have you done to him?"

"Absolutely nothing. I've simply shown him the path to greater power. It's what we all want…more power. Even now…you…you want more…don't you?"

"You're not going to get away with what you've done!" Genma shouted.

"I expected such a reaction."

A cloud of smoke appeared next to Genma, Kakashi stepping out of it and coming into view. He shot Genma a quick glance before looking down at the dangerous trio of shinobi below them. "Ah, Orochimaru. What brings you back to the place you hate the most?" the Jonin asked, his tone filled with sarcasm.

"I'm here strictly on business, which isn't with any of you here."

"You want to speak with the Hokage."

Orochimaru nodded.

"It's not going to happen. You've already kidnapped Sasuke! What more could you want from us?" the silver-haired Jonin asked, glancing over at the Uchiha, who had a sneer on his face the entire time.

"Look, I'm going to get to the old man…one way or another."

Orochimaru immediately formed the five required handseals for his jutsu, Fūton: Daitoppa (Wind Release: Great Breakthrough). Kabuto then went into action, forming the single handseal for his Nehan Shōja no Jutsu (Temple of Nirvana Technique). The sudden blast of wind from Orochimaru's jutsu tore the gate asunder, but all of the shinobi present managed to dispel Kabuto's genjutsu.

Afterwards, every shinobi leapt into the air, throwing a slew of kunai, shuriken, and senbon, so many, in fact, that from the trio's point of view, the blue sky had been blocked out with tools. Kakashi formed a single handseal, producing four kage bunshin, and all five of them immediately manipulated the lightning chakra stored in their hands to initiate Raijū Hashiri no Jutsu (Lightning Beast Running Technique), in which five hounds composed entirely of electrical energy were created, all of which charged the trio.

"_Very impressive, Kakashi," _Sasuke thought, the Jonin's skill with the nature type rivaling his own.

They stood in place, seemingly unfazed by what was coming at them. Orochimaru crouched and opened his mouth, releasing thousands upon thousands of snakes that formed a protective wall, essentially blocking everything that was thrown at them, the entire area now covered with tools.

"Damn," Kakashi said under his breath.

Several ANBU, wearing their trademark porcelain animal masks, appeared at the entrance of the gate, ready to give their lives for the security and safety of the village. The captain approached Kakashi with an air of urgency and superiority. "Pull back, Kakashi, we'll take care of them."

"I used to be in ANBU. I'm with you guys all the way."

The man behind the mask smiled, though Kakashi had no way of seeing it.

"I don't have time for this," Orochimaru said, slowly sinking into the ground.

"Damn, he's going for the Hokage. Captain, you and your men have to go back. We'll take care of these two."

The captain nodded in agreement and commanded his squad to follow him, the ANBU vanishing in blurs of speed. Now silent, except for the howling of the wind through the surrounding forestry, Kakashi turned to face the threatening duo of Sasuke and Kabuto, and for awhile there was a stare-off as Sasuke slowly rubbed the intricate designs that were ingrain on the hilt of his katana.

"Sasuke, you don't have to do this," his former sensei told him, slowly lifting his hitai-ite from over his scarred left eye and revealing his Mangekyō Sharingan. "but I'll do what I have to."

"You've evolved it," the Uchiha stated, attempting to change the subject. "That's good, Kakashi."

"So what's the plan?" Kabuto asked him.

"I wanna take Kakashi. I know you can handle the rest."

With that, the bespectacled shinobi went into action, leaping into the air and taking out two shinobi with a skull-crushing drop-kick. Two shinobi approached from both sides, but he retaliated with his Chakura no Mesu (Chakra Scalpels) and, after forming the five required handseals for the medical ninjutsu, swiftly slashed the tendons in the knees of both the charging shinobi.

* * *

Kakashi eyed his former student, trying not to emanate killing intent. "What's happened to you, Sasuke?"

"You should already know that. I want to kill my brother and avenge my clan. I need more power, and I wasn't going to get that here," he responded, releasing killing intent. "This is my destiny."

Kakashi shook his head in shame. "He has you, Sasuke. He's controlled you into believing him."

"But he was right. I _have _gotten more powerful…even more than you…sensei," the Uchiha said, throwing several shuriken, but Kakashi deflected them all with a kunai.

Sasuke was already behind him, and he unsheathed his katana in an attempt to behead the Jonin.

"_Damn he's fast,"_ Kakashi thought.

He crouched, avoiding decapitation and kicking the boy in his gut which sent him sliding back several feet. The Uchiha used the opening to produce his Chidori Eisō (One Thousand Birds Sharp Spear), which nearly pierced Kakashi's throat. He swung it like a sword, unintentionally killing a few of the shinobi Kabuto were fighting as their bodies had been sliced in half, several laying in large pools of blood and entrails.

The boy quickly deduced that Kakashi was at an advantage thanks to his Mangekyō Sharingan. He would be able to determine where his next strike would land. Sasuke retracted the spear but began discharging a vast amount of electricity from his body, electrocuting several of the shinobi around him with several thousand volts of electricity.

"_He's probably planning on keeping this long range; I can't get anywhere near him without getting fried."_

The boy used the Chidori Nagashi (One Thousand Birds Current) to channel some of the electricity into his katana. With his defense impenetrable, and his weapon charged, he made a beeline for Kakashi, who leapt over him while throwing several kunai, which were swiftly blocked. He then formed a handseal, producing hundreds of kage bunshin.

* * *

Kabuto took a swift kick to the back from Genma that sent him tumbling along the dirt. He quickly regained his footing and composure, using his Chakura no Mesu to slash the throats of a couple of shinobi that attempted to fight him at close range. One of the shinobi formed several handseals, and afterwards, an earthen wall slowly rose up from the ground. Kabuto stood in curiosity just moments before large spires came shooting out of the enormous block.

Kabuto was surprised and slightly impressed. "I'm might have trouble with this one," he said under his breath.

* * *

Sasuke stood stationary as every kage bunshin formed a Rasengan. The original stood back behind the rest, as to prepare a surprise strike at the appropriate moment. Sasuke smirked as they all approached him with a sphere of chakra in their hands. The boy leapt into the air and, utilizing his skill of shape transformation, produced millions of senbon composed of electricity. He took out hundreds of kage bunshin in seconds with his machine gun-like attack.

Kakashi prepared his signature jutsu, lowering his left hand to the ground as pure chakra began forming in it, releasing surges of electricity. He planned on using it when Sasuke least expected, who, preoccupied with the kage bunshin, hadn't noticed what Kakashi was doing.

* * *

Kabuto managed to avoid the onslaught in the nick of time, but one went straight through his left shoulder, injuring him severely. Being highly knowledgeable in medical ninjutsu, he used his most special ability, In'yu Shōmetsu (Yin Healing Wound Destruction), which immediately began healing his injured shoulder. Seeing this, Genma took action, spitting the senbon out of his mouth at a speed too fast for Kabuto to avoid. The senbon went straight through his healing shoulder, even further injuring it.

"_Damn, I've gotta buy some time."_

Genma threw another senbon in his mouth, spitting it again. This time, as Kabuto tried rolling out of the way, the weapon pierced the flesh, muscle, and tendons in his right ankle, slightly immobilizing him.

"Dainamikku Entorī (Dynamic Entry)!"

The green blur of Maito Gai appeared out of nowhere, delivering a swift kick to Kabuto's face that sent him crashing into a nearby tree.

"Good to see you could make it, Gai," Genma said with a smirk.

Gai turned to the fighting teacher and student, afraid of the battle's outcome. "Is that Sasuke?"

"Yeah," Genma replied. "He's so powerful…you can just feel it."

With many of the kage bunshin dispersed, Sasuke, in midair, began losing his momentum, falling back to the earth, where Kakashi awaited with his cleverly planned attack. Using his free hand, he split the mass of electrified chakra in two as a circle of excess electricity formed around him along the ground.

"That never gets old," Gai stated, a reminiscent smile on his face.

Kakashi exploded in a burst of speed, leaping off the ground and charging the midair Sasuke.

"_SHIT! He planned this!"_

Sasuke didn't have time to react, and, being in midair, had no way of avoiding the devastating attack. He made an attempt to counter with Chidori Nagashi, but to no avail; Kakashi's left and right hands pierced the boy's appendix and left shoulder, respectively. He let out a grunt of pain as blood splattered onto part of Kakashi's face and onto his vest.

* * *

_Meanwhile with Orochimaru, rooftop…_

"So I've dispatched your precious ANBU and now I'm going to dispatch you!" the Hebi-Sennin shouted, raising his voice in a maniacal manner.

Sarutobi was just a few feet away, laying face down on the hot, tile-like roof, his body bloodied and battered. "You want to be Hokage so bad? Fine, just kill me now!"

Orochimaru suddenly burst into laughter. "You still think it's about becoming Hokage? I've given that up decades ago! If you weren't so senile you'd have known that."

Sarutobi slowly managed to get to his knees. "Kill me. That's what you came here for."

Orochimaru smirked. "It'll be quick…sensei," he said, forming a unique and familiar handseal…

* * *

_Meanwhile with Naruto and Kiyomi, an Akatsuki hideout…_

The blond curiously looked around, waiting for someone or something to strike at any moment. Kiyomi had led him to an enormous cave at the bottom of a mountain valley. He looked over at the girl, who was still walking at his side. She seemed trustworthy enough.

"This is the place?" he asked.

"Yeah. Secretive isn't it?"

"I guess so. Who's the leader?"

"That's it. All Akatsuki members simply call him "Leader.""

"Weird."

The duo came to what appeared to be a dead end, but Kiyomi kept going. On the rock before her was a hand print that appeared to be somehow burned into the stone.

The blond's eyes bulged as he observed it. _"Someone in Akatsuki has one!"_

"You put your hand here and release your chakra in a specific pattern to activate the locking mechanisms within the rock," she said, demonstrating the entire procedure.

Naruto wholeheartedly didn't care, but to his surprise, the wall of rock split down the middle and both sides slowly slid in opposite directions. On the other side was another large room, just as dark as the previous except for the small area that was illuminated before them where the sun shone through a hole above. Naruto and Kiyomi stopped when they heard approaching footsteps.

"Kiyomi, welcome back. Is this him?"

"Yes."

A man with a head of spiky, vibrant orange hair stepped forward into the light, the three black objects on both sides of his nose glistening. Naruto assumed that he was the leader.

"Welcome, Naruto."

* * *

_A/N: How was it? Be honest. I felt it a little rushed in some spots, but I just really wanted to get this off the ground and posted so I can get to working on the next chapter and an upcoming fic, **Innocent Heart, Demonic Soul**, a Naruto/DMC fusion, for those that haven't seen it on my profile. Well, anyway, thanks to everyone who voted on my poll! The best is yet to come so stay tuned and thanks for reading!_


	20. The Killing Blow

_A/N: Well, here it is. At long last. For those that have been awaiting this chapter I apologize for the long wait. I have quite a bit on my plate dealing with my personal life, but I'll do my utmost to keep you readers entertained. As far as the story itself goes, my word use, sentence structure, and overall writing style has greatly improved since ch. 1 (for those that couldn't already tell) and will continue to improve, culminating in an engrossing story that will only improve with each chapter. This particular chapter definitely sets the stage for important events that have yet to come. I'll be starting on ch. 21 ASAP while I work to revamp **Yu Yu Hakusho: Oversoul** and develop more elements for an upcoming fic, **Innocent Heart, Demonic Soul**. So I'll be pretty busy. And don't forget to vote on my poll I have posted on my profile! I like to have my readers involved so whatever you guys choose is what will be presented in the story._**  
**

_As usual, before we get to the story..._

_**Ppsh:** Yeah, I know what you mean. I was dubious myself at first actually, but I was proud of how it turned out later on so I just ran with it. But the downside is that I'll have to retcon that later in the story. As far as obtaining the Rinnegan goes, I have a poll on my profile asking if Naruto should obtain it. And yes, that is the plan for Orochimaru and Sasuke, and I also agree that the Rinnegan certainly does have more potential, but I want to see what the readers think in my poll. As for Kiyomi, she'll remain a mystery for awhile before her past starts to come to light...  
_

_**Khorale:** Good question. That's still under debate. At this point I don't know who will show up yet. Things will just have to take their natural course, and whoever shows up, shows up. But I can tell you that the only person I'm sure of that will appear is Itachi._

_**Lix Lorn the**** Eeveetrainer**_**_:_ **_I understand what you mean. Orochimaru doesn't want to kill Naruto, per se, but he is highly interested in Hittakuru, Naruto's kekkei genkai. His long term plans? Well, that will be revealed in due time..._

_Now, onward to the story...Enjoy!_

* * *

**Chapter 20: The Killing Blow**

* * *

_Konoha Hospital, with Sakura…_

The pink-haired kunoichi was anxious as to what exactly was going on outside of the hospital. She refused to leave her bed to look out of the window, convinced that the machines at her bedside were keeping her alive. All she could do was listen. She had been informed earlier that the ANBU had set up a perimeter around the hospital and its associated buildings, and should the enemies break their defenses, the patients would be relocated.

But Sakura didn't want to run anymore. She was tired of being afraid, due in part to her strong desire to grow as a kunoichi, much like her friends. She wanted to prove that she was a young woman of action, one that could hold her own and one whose very name carried weight, much like her well-known mentor, Tsunade.

She wanted nothing more than to go out and help in repelling whoever the enemy was, but unfortunately, she was nearly killed in her last encounter with her former teammate, thus confining her to the hospital bed that she rested in. It was a sad story really, and the more she thought about it, the more she began to convince herself that Naruto's state of mind was nothing more than an enigma, quite possibly an amalgam of twisted thoughts and insane fantasies.

She had pondered on it for awhile and came to the conclusion that the blond's secret was the main reason for his defection. What else could it have been? It seemed logical, but she needed proof, which wouldn't be an easy task at all, as that would require being in his physical presence to engage in conversation. All Sakura wanted to do was talk to him, and open his eyes.

To help him see his true self.

She laid back on her large pillow, staring up at the white, tiled ceiling. _"I'm not going to give up on you, Naruto," _she thought as she closed her eyes. _"There's still goodness, and if you can't find it…then I will."_

* * *

_Meanwhile with Naruto, an Akatsuki hideout…_

It was dark.

Cold and dark.

The shivering blond subtly looked around, observing his surroundings the best he could amidst the pitch-black darkness. It was futile. The only person he could see with the utmost clarity was the person that stood before him, as he was illuminated by the bright light of the sun that shone through a hole in the rock several stories above them.

His senses had been on high alert since his arrival with Kiyomi, given the fact that he didn't trust her. He deduced that Akatsuki had to have been the ones that sent her, otherwise she wouldn't have any knowledge of the hideout or the leader, for that matter. Who was he to trust? At this point, he trusted only himself and the Kyuubi. He could live with that.

He refocused his attention on the one before him, examining every feature of the man's face. He bore a total of ten piercings, a metal bar through each ear, three studs through the side of his upper nose, and one spike stud on each end of the bottom lip. The blond stood motionless and erect with his arms crossed, as he studied the leader's body language.

The man fixed his gaze onto Naruto's eyes, further intimidating the blond into prolonged silence. "My name is Pein. It's a pleasure to finally meet," he said, his voice soft and deep.

Naruto closely examined Pein's visage as he spoke. It seemed to be rigid, a stoic expression engraved on his demeanor the entire time. His personality was devoid of all emotion at the moment, and he highly doubted that Pein even actually cared about meeting him. He knew that the criminal organization had a plan, and that plan may even involve him in some way, but he didn't bother asking questions like that too early, so he merely kept them to himself. He observed Pein's unique eyes, something the blond teen had never seen before. They had a slight violet tinge to them, and the pattern they displayed was one akin to rippled water, with circles inside of circles and a pupil at the center.

Pein slightly adjusted the ring on his finger. "In time, you will come to learn of our goals, which, in a way, are similar," he stated, still directing his piercing gaze into Naruto's light blue eyes.

Naruto figured that Akatsuki, as a whole, had goals, but didn't bother to think about the goals of each of the individual members within. "How are you so sure that _my_ goals are similar?"

Pein let a nearly unnoticeable smirk cradle his thin lips. "I don't…but there is something that you are seeking, isn't there? Something that you want. We can help you."

Naruto quickly figured out what Pein might have been hinting at. It was Hittakuru. He doubted that the leader knew anything of it, reassuring himself that he was merely making an assumption.

"Akatsuki has but one goal, Naruto. How do you make someone follow or obey you?" he asked with a smirk. "You make them fear you," he said, answering his previous question. We intend to strike fear into the hearts of all who oppose us. Someday, our very name will not be even be uttered…out of fear. But at the same time, the Elemental Countries will look to Akatsuki to resolve any and all issues, simply because they know that we will be the only ones capable of doing so."

Naruto listened intensely, comprehending the information Pein had told him, but he couldn't help but think if that was where their plan stopped. There had to have been more to it, considering Akatsuki's infamous reputation. At this point, he was willing to do whatever it took to obtain another kekkei genkai, doing well in suppressing his surfacing hunger for the past few days. It was passive, though it took him awhile to discover he could even do such a thing.

And he knew full well that the one who stood before him possessed a kekkei genkai.

Also, judging by the intensity of his sense, which informed him through bio-chemical triggers which could track any genetic trait, he knew that the dōjutsu before him was extremely powerful and coveted. He attempted to calm himself, which essentially aided in suppressing his hunger.

He dreaded when it would eventually become too much...

"So where do I play into all of this?" the teen asked, a bead of sweat glistening as it slid down his temple and cheek.

"You and Kiyomi appear to make a good team. For the time being, you will be paired with her as part of our...inconspicuous mercenary group. Any questions?"

A brief moment of silence followed as Kiyomi approached Naruto's side. "We won't fail you, Leader."

Pein nodded, then turned on heel and soon disappeared in the darkness. "Bring back Kensuke and Jin. Use whatever means necessary," he commanded, his voice reverberant throughout the large cavern.

* * *

_2 days later, in front of the Memorial Stone..._

It was quite overcast and the humidity hung thick in the air, signifying the approaching storm and stifling nearly every shinobi and kunoichi present into perspiration. Despite this, the sun still managed to get a few brilliant rays of light through the blanket of gray clouds.

However, the mood was one of the utmost austerity.

Konoha was in a state of mourning, every shinobi and civilian attending the funeral ceremony of its most respected figure, the Sandaime Hokage, Hiruzen Sarutobi.

No one uttered a word, save for the select few shinobi that chose to give the Hokage a eulogy. Konohamaru, who stood in the front row, shivered with cold and pent-up sadness as he held back his tears, but he seemed to lose control as Asuma, standing adjacent to him, gently put his hand on the boy's shoulder.

It was a grim time for Konoha, as the village had already been plagued by attacks before and the defection of Naruto and Sasuke. This culmination of events nearly took Sakura over the edge, as she had been previously terrorized by the loss of her teammates. She was still confined to her bed, as moving her could bring disastrous consequences. She couldn't see anything from her room, but she certainly _felt _what the rest of the village was going through.

It began raining.

Softly at first. Then gradually harder, until the pattering of each water droplet echoed throughout the village, pounding every surface in a pattern that was as violent as the storm.

After every shinobi and civilian honored Hiruzen's final resting place, said their prayers, and paid their dues, the only people to remain were Kakashi, Gai, Genma, who twirled his trademark senbon between his teeth, and Jiraiya. There was silence for several minutes as each shinobi mindlessly stared down at the Hokage's large, adorned gravestone, as if expecting him at any moment.

Kakashi turned his gaze from the stone to the dark sky, his now drenched mask partially adhered to his face. "Something has to be done," he said, clenching his fists.

"These are dangerous times," Jiraiya stated. "and I understand how you must feel, Kakashi, but we just can't go out looking for them."

"He's right," Gai agreed. "Someone has to protect the village."

"Who knows? They may come back with reinforcements," Genma said softly.

"I know...but...I couldn't do it. I mean, I could have killed him, but I didn't. I couldn't," Kakashi said softly, shaking his head.

Jiraiya put a hand on Kakashi's shoulder. "We can't relate, but we understand very well, Kakashi. Look, you don't have to do this-"

"No," the masked one interrupted. "I _have _to do this. Yes, they are my students, but they are threats. The only family I have now...is Sakura," he said in a saddened tone.

Gai wiped the rain off of his face with his sleeve before turning to Kakashi. "We should just focus our attention on the village. These people are scared. We need to protect our home."

They all nodded in agreement, using their Shunshin no jutsu to move to another location out of the rain.

* * *

_Hokage's office..._

The pattering of water on the wooden floor increased in frequency as more of the shinobi appeared, also leaving enormous pools of water beneath their feet.

Kakashi heaved a heavy sigh. "We should start making preparations to elect a new Hokage very soon."

"Yes, but I believe the village's safety is our main priority, especially since Sasuke and that boy with the glasses...Kabuto, escaped," Jiraiya said with an air of serenity. "We already have a squad out looking for Naruto, so we can just focus on Sasuke...and I don't think he'll be willing to comply."

"I know. That's why I have to do this," Kakashi replied. "And...perhaps there's something you all should know about Naruto."

They all stared attentively at the masked one, curious as to what he was about to reveal.

He continued. "The Hokage and I discussed some things about his "secret." Most of us were present when he demonstrated his ability to wield Hyōton and his mysterious ability to control plants. Well, we've come to the conclusion that he has another ability: one that can absorb others' abilities and, quite possibly, kekkei genkai. After one of our missions several years ago, we met a boy named Haku, who was able to use Hyōton. Naruto hasn't been the same since."

"Well, that certainly explains how he could have acquired an extinct kekkei genkai anyway," Jiraiya said. "But whenever I asked him how he obtained it, he said he couldn't remember."

Kakashi heaved a heavy sigh. "I don't know. Maybe that could be a side affect. But I don't remember Minato demonstrating such an ability...so it can't be a kekkei genkai...could it?"

"It has to be," Genma replied. "Obviously since they're genetic, they can appear in random generations, so long as one of the parents carries the dominant gene."

Kakashi's eye widened. "It was Kushina. She must have carried the dominant gene. All this time..."

Gai crossed his arms and breathed. "So I guess it's safe to say that Naruto has awakened a kekkei genkai that has sat dormant in his clan for hundreds of years. A dangerous one..."

* * *

_Meanwhile, Orochimaru's hideout..._

"It's a good thing we found him when we did," Orochimaru said, an austere expression firmly planted on his visage. "He nearly bled to death."

An unconscious Sasuke had been placed on a table, one that accommodated for the length of his body and height of Kabuto. His robe had been torn and shredded in several places, but Kabuto ripped it completely open, exposing the two holes in his chest and abdomen.

"Whatever caused these wounds also seemed to simultaneously cauterize them," Kabuto informed. "Which is the only reason he isn't dead yet."

He was still bleeding slightly, but Kabuto, being well versed in medical ninjutsu, used his Shōsen Jutsu (Mystical Palm Technique), the chakra from the technique revitalizing tissue and cells, mending the damage.

"He'll be just fine," Kabuto said after observing Sasuke's closed eyes, which had begun moving rapidly as if he were dreaming.

"Good," Orochimaru replied, stepping a few feet over to another table.

The bespectacled shinobi cleared his throat. "So, Orochimaru, how did you kill the Sandaime anyway?"

Orochimaru stood over the body that was Kensuke, observing the curse seal on his neck that was now fully prominent. "His condition has finally stabilized," he said with a smirk, then turned halfway as to view his partner in his peripheral vision. "This is getting exciting, don't you think?"

"Yes, Orochimaru, but Naruto-"

"Will be taken care of," the Sennin abruptly interrupted. "Trust me. When Sasuke fully heals, he will have his chance to reclaim what was stolen from him."

"I know. I guess I'm just concerned with his rapid progress. Even so long ago, he seemed to be developing faster than Sasuke. And the last time I saw him...we were no match."

"Are you worried, Kabuto?" Orochimaru asked mockingly, his back still to his subordinate.

"Not at all. I'm just cautious," he replied.

* * *

_With Naruto and Kiyomi, far south of Konoha..._

The overcast sky was finally clear once again, thanks to the powerful winds that came through and carried the clouds further south. It hadn't rained, but it was quite humid and gloomy, evidence of an approaching storm, with most of the sunlight being blocked by the large thunder clouds. It was still burning hot, despite the clear skies and soothing wind.

Naruto wiped the perspiration from his brow with his sleeve as he looked around, noticing that they were the only two traversing the dirt road, with nothing but grasslands on either side of them for miles.

He breathed. "So tell me. How does your ability work?"

"Who wants to know?" she asked with a smirk.

"C'mon, Kiyomi. Seriously."

"Why should I?"

He knew she wasn't going to give away such information so easily, and he shook his head as he discovered the only way to get to her was to exploit her weakness of obsessive sexual attraction to him.

"Oh well. I guess someone doesn't want a surprise later," he said with an added sigh.

Kiyomi stopped. "What kind of surprise?" she asked, putting her hands to her hips.

The blond approached her. "It wouldn't be a surprise if I told you. Now would it?" he said softly, licking her lips.

She began trembling. "Oh, Naruto-kun..." she said with pleasure in her voice as she grabbed the top of his pants and pulled him even closer.

Naruto smirked. Her sexual attraction to him was, undoubtedly, her possible only weakness. However, he could use it to his advantage, essentially using her for whatever reason he wanted, so long as he promised something in return. He was highly eager to experiment with it.

He put his lips to her ear, licking it. "Do what I say, Kiyomi, and you can do anything you want to me," he whispered.

"Naruto-kun, you're making me so...excited."

He pushed her off and began walking.

"I'll be holding you to your promise," she said, observing his change in demeanor. "Well, you see, a sensor is able to detect the presence of people through the use of their chakra. We're able to detect our targets from miles away and differentiate through the chakra signature alone. Some sensors, including myself, are able to suppress their chakra, but can't use their abilities while suppressing. I can track one person or several people with great accuracy."

"How did you obtain it?"

"I actually don't know. Most of my childhood is either a blur or can't be remembered. I guess I was just born with it. It's funny, I always thought that it was a curse, but I never knew that it would eventually lead me to you."

He rolled his eyes. "Yeah, yeah. So are you able to track people through, say, special abilities?"

"Special abilities?" she asked with a snicker. "I'm going to need you to be a bit more specific."

"Let's just say, hypothetically, we were tracking someone with a kekkei genkai-"

"Oh, kekkei genkai. Those are outright beacons for a sensor, but of course, it depends on the kekkei genkai's power, the power of the sensor, and the distance."

Naruto became instantly overcome with excitement. He had a human map that could lead him to every kekkei genkai in the Elemental Countries, and with more training on Kiyomi's part, quite possibly the planet.

"Any particular reason why you're so interested in my ability all of a sudden?"

"What? I can't ask questions now?"

"Well, sure," she replied.

"So I guess that's how we're going to find Jin and Kensuke."

"That's right."

They walked on in silence for what seemed like an eternity, though it had actually been a few minutes. The duo soon approached a large tree at the side of the wide path that was covered with numerous sheets of paper. Naruto and Kiyomi exchanged quick glances before approaching the tree, quickly noticing that the papers that covered the towering plant were all bounties for the same person: Uzumaki Naruto.

_"Of course. What did I expect?" _the blond thought, tearing one of the bounties from the senbon that kept them attached to the tree.

He looked up from the paper in his hand, first glancing at Kiyomi, then looking around at his surroundings. Something in the vicinity didn't seem right to the blond, activating his Mangekyō Sharingan out of sheer suspicion.

_"__SHIT!"_

Within a fraction of a second, Naruto had constructed a small dome of ice around the duo, using his chakra to freeze any water particles that were in the air around them, resulting in a steadfast barrier that was able to withstand the large explosion, which had decimated the tree and left a smoking crater about 10 feet in diameter in the earth.

Kiyomi, behind the blond, gripped his shoulder. "Naruto! What the hell is going on?"

_"Just as I suspected! It was __a genjutsu! __The tree had been riddled with explosive tags. __Luckily I shielded us just in the nick of time."_

With a mental command, the ice was reverted back into liquid, producing a large pool of water that was quickly absorbed by the dirt beneath their feet.

"Come out!" Naruto shouted, now standing back to back with Kiyomi, who had equipped a kunai in each hand. "Kiyomi, to answer your earlier question, I have a feeling that we were being tailed."

"Tailed? By who?"

"Perhaps another bounty hunter. Besides, I do have a hefty price on my head," the teen said with a smirk, as if boasting about his rather infamous reputation.

"Well, I'm tracking them now, whoever it is," she said, looking in all directions.

"Good. Let me know when you sense something."

Though not facing Naruto's direction, Kiyomi immediately sensed a chakra signature that made a beeline for the blond. She turned on heel, informing him of the incoming enemy, whose movements appeared to make him or her invisible, much to their surprise. Naruto's Mangekyō Sharingan made it only slightly easier to track his target, though the enemy was still moving much too fast for him to keep up with. The blond gradually became more irritated, convinced that their attacker was merely toying with them.

Naruto growled, though it had been inaudible. "It isn't a good idea to aggravate me!"

The blond felt a great force against his ribcage, sending him tumbling and sliding along the hot gravel and dirt. Kiyomi threw him a look of utter confusion as he swiftly climbed to his feet.

He brushed himself off. "Don't worry. I can track him."

"Behind you!" she blurted, throwing a kunai with blinding speed, which he avoided by crouching.

The kunai struck their target, but it didn't appear to slow the enemy down. Kiyomi began frantically searching for the target again and threw another kunai meant to incapacitate and though she missed her killing point, she still landed another as she was tossed into the air, landing on her back and briefly knocking the wind out of her. Naruto quickly formed a familiar handseal, creating hundreds of Kage Bunshin as to easily track their target.

Kiyomi rose to her feet, trying her best not to lose her composure. "Good idea."

"We've got him!" they heard a few of the clones exclaim.

They ran into the grasslands, following the voice of the clones and the slightly familiar grunts of struggle that belonged to a shinobi Naruto once knew well. The clones moved out of the way as the duo approached, forming a protective circle around those that held their target captive.

Naruto shook his head. "I should've known, Rock Lee. That genjutsu before...I thought your focus was only taijutsu."

"It was Ino. Kurenai-sensei has taught her a thing or two. Basic stuff for now."

"You know him?" Kiyomi asked.

The blond ignored her question, crossing his arms and staring into Lee's large, emotion-filled eyes.

"Naruto, you don't have to do this!" Lee shouted.

"Don't you understand, I _need _to do this," he replied, looking around. "Where are the others?"

As if right on cue, many of the clones were heard dispersing, starting with a few then increasing to hundreds within a matter of seconds.

"They're coming, Naruto. We have orders!"

As the rest of clones dispersed, save for the few that held fast to Lee and the ones behind them, the Naruto Search and Rescue Squad came into view, though they were no longer "rescuing." A kunai zipped into the blond's hand and held the very tip at Lee's throat with blinding speed, blood dripping from the point of contact.

Shikamaru stepped forward. "Naruto, it's over! Your games end here!"

The blond heaved a heavy sigh. "Why do you guys insist on doing this?"

"Because you're a threat! We have to protect our home!"

Naruto shook his head. "Just leave me to my life!"

"Life of what? Merciless killing?" Shikamaru shouted. "Naruto, can't you see yourself? This isn't you! Whatever it is you're hiding, it's driving you insane!"

"You guys just need to stay away from me. I'm not going to be swayed."

There was a brief moment of silence as a gentle breeze blew threw across the grasslands, leaves and blades of grass flying about as the wind blew dirt and dust around and nearly knocking most of the shinobi off balance.

"Don't get in my way," Naruto said, emanating killing intent.

"What do you want? What are you looking for?" Shikamaru asked with narrowed eyes, subtly shivering from the amount of killing intent he was exposed to.

"Words are useless at this point."

"Then maybe our actions will have a little more meaning then..."

With that, the killing intent in the air suddenly intensified as Naruto gripped his kunai ever tighter in hand...


	21. Enigma

_A/N: Welcome, readers! I must say, it has been fun doing this fic, but I'm going to be incredibly busy soon with school and work, so I'll try to get as much done as possible whenever I get a chance. And if you've read my profile, I also have a crap load of upcoming stories that I've been working on. In addition, I'm also currently composing a compilation fic that will contain any samples and/or upcoming scenes from various stories that I'm either working on, deleted, or are upcoming. It's called **Fab Fiction **and if you're interested in reading any of my upcoming and ORIGINAL stories why not check it out?_

_Now to answer a review:_

_**roboguy45: **Besides kekkei genkai, I'd say that Naruto is looking for himself. And what I mean by that is he wants to discover his true purpose in the world, but that's always a problem because his better judgement is clouded by his growing hunger for more kekkei genkai. Everyone wants to know who they really are and Naruto is no different.  
_

_Now, onward to the story..._

_Enjoy!_

* * *

**Chapter 21: Enigma**

Sasuke finally opened his sore eyes, though he did so very slowly, allowing his vision to adjust to the level of brightness within the large room. As he stared up at the ceiling for a brief moment, he found that he was hesitant to lift himself, considering that his entire body ached as though he had finished some sort of arduous workout regime. Using his weakened arms, he attempted to sit himself up in what seemed to be a bed with wheels, which was also covered with a bright, white cloth. He observed the empty room, examining the other empty beds and the white coats that hung on the wall next to the door and concluded that he was in some sort of medical facility. He wondered what his exact location could be, struggling to recall the scant memories of his life thus far.

A few minutes had passed before he heard the faint pattering of footsteps outside of the door. They grew louder, indicative of an approaching figure. The young man stared at the door as he sat up on the edge of the bed, a bit skeptical and wary, as he had difficulties in remembering anything prior to his awakening just moments ago. He observed the foliage as they danced in the wind, feeling the gentle caress of the breeze flow through his raven black hair as it slipped its way through the slightly opened window.

He looked around in a panic, hoping to find an object he could use to defend himself with, seeing as how he was too weak to even stand, but to no avail. In fact, he wasn't even sure if he was in any legitimate danger. There was a brief moment of silence, then he heard the handle being gripped before the door swung open, revealing the figure of an attractive female medical-nin, her brunette hair nicely wrapped in a bun, topped off with the distinguishable medical hat.

She approached him, clutching a clipboard in her arm. "Uchiha Sasuke, correct?" she asked, gently placing the backside of her hand on his forehead.

"Uh, yea. I feel fine," he said, removing her hand. "Look, where am I?"

She jotted some notes down on the clipboard before grabbing his wrist and checking his pulse. "You're injuries...they've healed quite fast."

He snatched his wrist away from her and hesitatingly opened his robes, revealing nothing but a bare chest. He breathed. "Never mind that," he said, swiftly covering himself. "Where am I?"

The nurse threw him a look of confusion. She most likely thought he was crazy or had been hit on the head, but he was beginning to believe the latter. Either way, he refrained from conveying any emotion and retained his collected demeanor.

"You're in Konoha Hospital. Don't you remember?"

Sasuke focused his gaze onto the floor, appearing as though he was drowsy. "I...can't...remember," he said softly.

"You must have sustained a head injury," she stated, attempting to check for an injury he probably didn't have.

Feeling threatened at that point, he grabbed her arm and twisted it behind her back, cupping his hand over her mouth before she could let out any screams. She struggled with all of her strength, but to much futility, and it seemed as if Sasuke had recovered his.

"I know what's going on here," he said, moving towards the door. "You think I'm a fool? I'm going to find out how I got here!"

"Sasuke, why don't you relax?" another voice said calmly from the doorway.

The teen looked over, moving the nurse slightly aside to observe the lean figure that was Kakashi. He then hit the woman on the back of her head with his elbow, knocking her unconscious. There was a moment of silence as he tossed her flaccid body aside.

Kakashi crossed his arms as he leaned against the door frame. "Nice to see you again."

"What are you doing here?" Sasuke asked, still glancing around.

The jonin quickly glanced down the corridors on either side of him before closing the door. "I think the better question is...what are _you_ doing here?"

"That's what I'm trying to find out," Sasuke responded.

"Well, you know what happened the last time you were here, right?"

Sasuke was hesitant in his response, considering that he had no prior recollection of any memories before he awoke in the hospital. The only thing he did remember were his injuries, but he refrained from expressing his difficulties in recalling how he sustained them. He decided to remain silent, making it obvious that he didn't have an answer.

"What do you mean "last time?""

Kakashi grinned beneath his mask, convinced that Sasuke's ignorance was just a clever ploy that he had arranged. "Look, if you prove that you've turned over a new leaf, then you're charges will be..._less _severe. Just cooperate."

"What makes you think I'm going to listen to you?" he asked, emanating killing intent. "I still have things to do. Things that don't concern any of you here! That's why I left in the first place!"

"Then why did you return?" Kakashi asked, observing the inexorable look in Sasuke's eyes. "Was it to kill me?"

Sasuke truthfully had no clue what his former sensei was trying to tell him, but he did recognize his surfacing feelings as negative emotions. Emotions that he wanted to direct at the man before him. After all, he was blocking the door.

"Get out of my way, Kakashi," Sasuke said sternly.

The jonin heaved a sigh. "So I guess you haven't changed. Then again, why would you? If this is the life that you want to live, then so be it," Kakashi said, pulling a kunai out with blinding speed. He rotated it on his index finger before throwing it to Sasuke, handle-first. "If you want to kill me, then do it. You may never get another chance."

He closely observed the kunai he gripped in his hand, appearing hesitant at Kakashi's point of view. He peered into the jonin's visible eye, emanating killing intent all the while. His visage and demeanor expressed nothing but sheer austerity, which only caused the atmosphere in the room to become further saturated with hatred.

"Teh! With pleasure," he said, charging Kakashi within mere seconds.

He swiftly slashed the area where Kakashi's throat had been, but he vanished within a cloud of smoke before Sasuke even reached striking distance.

"Sasuke, don't do this anymore!" a feminine voice cried out behind him.

The teen abruptly turned on heel, observing the figure that was Sakura, sadness and concern written all over her visage and demeanor.

"Sasuke, please. Why are you doing this?" she asked, attempting to hold back her tears, which were already causing her eyes to appear watery and her face a soft red hue.

He averted his attention to the kunai he held in his hand. "Why do you people act like you know me?" he asked. "You don't know me! Leave me alone!"

"First Naruto...now you. We were supposed to be a team...we were supposed to be friends," she said, her voice shaking as she quivered.

"What makes you think I give a damn about Naruto? Or any of you for that matter?"

Sakura was silent. There was no simple answer. He had given up on his village of his own free will. She lowered her head and slowly shook it as she wiped her eyes and face. Then suddenly, Sasuke felt an intense, sharp pain creep up the length of his back.

"You leave me no choice, Sasuke," she said, now behind him.

The figure before him vanished in a cloud of smoke as they conversed, a clipboard hitting the floor seconds later. Neither of them moved a muscle, and for a moment, they both stood in an unwavering silence. Sasuke pondered for a brief moment his unexpected return to Konoha. Was he sent on an assassination mission? Who was the target? His mind quickly snapped back to reality, faced with the difficult task of confronting his former teammate. It was clear that if he didn't comply, then she was likely to kill him.

Sasuke breathed. "This doesn't concern you. Why the hell do you care so much?" he asked, speaking rather slowly.

"Because I vowed to help Naruto see his true self," she quickly responded. "and you're part of the team."

He shook his head with a sigh. "You still don't get it. What if that _is _his true self? There's a saying: you can lead a horse to water, but you can't make it drink."

For a moment, he felt the pain in his back intensify, but there was a sudden, massive earthquake that hit the village, swiftly bringing them both to their knees and weakening the foundations of the hospital and several other surrounding buildings. As everything around them fell apart, they both observed the roof of the building as it was effortlessly ripped from its entire foundation, revealing the monstrous Kyuubi standing several stories above them, its potent chakra and massive killing intent causing atmospheric changes in the immediate vicinity. Screams and cries filled the air as its shouts tore the land apart around it. There was nothing they could do as the beast raised its hand for a claw swipe, the force of it destroying the remainder of the hospital and leaving Sasuke drifting in darkness...

* * *

_Orochimaru's hideout..._

The Uchiha twitched slightly before slowly opening his eyes. At least the room he awoke in this time was quite dark, but their was some slight illumination that came from candle lanterns and the soft glow of computer screens. He slowly turned his head as he lifted himself, examining his surroundings. Everything seemed normal. He had been indeed dreaming. As he sat up, he looked around the darkened room. It was quiet, the constant low hum from the computers and Kensuke's soft, rhythmic breathing being the only sources of sound.

He was back in the real world and back at Orochimaru's hideout, where he had been all along. He heaved a sigh as he rubbed his fingers through his hair, further ruffling it as he also attempted to straighten the bangs that outlined his face. He then observed his robes, which had been sewn and hemmed with great skill. He also observed the wounds he had suffered at the hands of Kakashi, gently rubbing his fingers across the large scars. Kabuto had done an excellent job in caring for the wounds. He shook his head just as he heard footsteps and voices approaching, quickly reaching for his katana as a safety measure.

"Still a bit edgy, are we?" Orochimaru asked as he entered the room, approaching Kensuke's body.

Sasuke breathed as he tied the sheath back to his waist. "How long was I unconscious?"

"Less than a day," Kabuto responded. "Maybe a few hours if I had to guess. You almost bled to death."

Sasuke lowered his head. "So...Kakashi-"

"I don't think he wanted to kill you," Orochimaru abruptly interrupted. "That was just a warning. You see, he purposefully aimed for spots on your body where he wouldn't hit any major organs, and if he had gone any deeper, the surrounding areas would surely have been damaged. In other words, he spared you."

Silence ensued as Sasuke thought back for a moment, straining to contain his surfacing anger as he rubbed his face and shook his head in shame. "I have to go back," Sasuke said, clutching the hilt of his weapon. "And this time, I _will _kill him."

There was a swift moment of silence as they all contemplated the paths they would take as well as any and all resulting consequences. It seemed that Sasuke was as serious as a heart attack, as killing intent began saturating the already stale air of the hideout.

"Are you serious?" Kabuto asked. "You almost died...and he didn't even intend to kill you."

"Don't...underestimate me," Sasuke said, quivering with anger.

"Do what you have to if you feel that you're ready, but Kakashi is no pushover," Orochimaru said, checking the machine adjacent to Kensuke. "You'll have backup just in case. His vitals are finally stabilizing."

"What about Naruto?" Kabuto asked. "Maybe we should get Sasuke's eyes back before he confronts a shinobi of Kakashi's caliber."

"That's a good idea. We'll track him down. I have something very special in mind for that elusive kid. He may be the complete answer to _all _of my research," the Sennin responded with a thin smirk planted on his face.

* * *

_Konoha Hospital..._

It was another bright day in Konohagakure. The soothing breeze that blew in through the window was accompanied by a sun whose rays seemed to give life to the flora that danced just outside of the window. It offered some entertainment to the bed-ridden Sakura, but she longed to view the world. She longed to go places with her team. She stared out of the window for as long as she could, wanting to forget that she was even in the hospital.

Much to her surprise, there was a rush of wind near the door, and stepping out of the accompanying cloud of smoke was Kakashi. He observed her visage as he approached her bedside, acknowledging the silence that she seemed to embrace with complete comfort. It didn't take a genius to see that she was upset and distraught. He wanted to comfort her, but he knew that telling her more than what she knew would surely make matters worse. Consoling her would mean withholding information, but even so, it would be her choice whether she wanted to accept it or not.

Sakura continued to glare out of the window. "They say they can't do anything until the spear is removed," she said softly. "I've been wondering...can Naruto command his ice to melt at any given time? Can he mentally control it? If so, then why does he keep this inside of me? And then it dawns on me: because he sees me as a threat. He knows that I can save him."

"Save him from what?" Kakashi asked, concern written all over his expression.

"Himself," she responded. There was silence as they both contemplated what she truly meant. She continued. "He doesn't want me out there. I mean, it's infused with his chakra, so he can dispel it at any time."

"Look, you're probably just over-thinking this situation. You need to get your mind on other things. You can't do anything about your condition, so why worry about it?"

Sakura was immediately silent, as she continued staring out of the window. She sighed. "You're probably right. I mean, I have been doing a lot of thinking," she said, her gaze still fixed on the view through the window. "Then again, maybe this was supposed to happen."

Kakashi pulled one of the chairs next to her bedside and looked her in her eyes, displaying his concern. "Sakura, there's something you have to know about Naruto. Only a few people, including myself, know this."

"I already know, Kakashi-sensei," she said, turning her stare to him. "It's Naruto's secret. I still remember our first mission. After that, he hasn't been the same since. I've been thinking long and hard on it. It was the reason why he left."

"I'm impressed. But you should know that his abilities stem from his...mysterious kekkei genkai."

"A kekkei genkai? Then that would explain it," she said as her voice drifted away.

"He may even have more than one," Kakashi finished.

Sakura stared off into space, nearly overwhelmed, though she wasn't going to admit it. It was the main reason why Naruto left the village. It was safe to assume that, as no one would probably ever come to understand the psychological aspect of his kekkei genkai, or even his personality. She wanted to converse with Kakashi concerning their team, namely Naruto, but she found it painful to even recall memories of their time together. She gazed back into Kakashi's eyes. Perhaps he felt the same way.

"How is that possible?"

"It's _his_ kekkei genkai," he responded.

"So...his kekkei genkai...is capable of absorbing others."

"That's right, and he's able to use all of the abilities of the previous owner," Kakashi added. "Hence his ability to use Hyōton and even his other ability...the one that utilizes plants."

She shook her head. "We should still get to the bottom of this."

"Sakura, Sasuke and Naruto left the village because they felt it would be best for them. There's no bringing them back unless they want to. It's the sad truth."

"I don't care anymore, Kakashi. We didn't know each other as long as other friends, but there's a feeling like no other when you've formed a bond. It could be with anyone, but deep down inside, you can _feel _that bond. People can _choose_. No one is inherently evil."

Kakashi was silent as he turned his head to look out of the window for a moment. It was certainly a beautiful view. Without another word, he rose from his chair, meditating upon Sakura's words.

"Kakashi-sensei?"

He stopped for a moment, his back still turned to her. He wished for her to see his smile. "You're right, Sakura," he said, slowly opening the door and closing it behind him, leaving Sakura to her thoughts.

* * *

_Eastern Hi no Kuni, outside of a small community..._

Two figures, both wearing the same black coats with red cloud patterns, and one with a large, bandaged sword strapped to his back, began their departure from yet another location that brought them nothing but glares of fear and hatred, though all the while they maintained their enigmatic presence. It was obvious that they were members of Akatsuki, given their appearance, but their business appeared to be elsewhere. They were soon stopped by another figure, whose appearance was the reason why he probably didn't appear to the naked eye too often. Slowly rising from the ground, the venus flytrap-like figure, who also donned Akatsuki attire, appeared to the duo, though the other half of his body was still within the earth.

"Zetsu, what is it?" the merman with the sword asked.

"Itachi, Kisame, the Leader wanted me to inform everyone of our newest member," Zetsu said.

They both exchanged glances before turning back to the mysterious figure whose body was divided into two black and white halves.

"Who?" Kisame asked.

"His name is Naruto, and he is a former shinobi of Konohagakure. I'll tell the others when we are done here, but it seems that the Leader wants you two to keep a special eye out on him. Apparently he's very dangerous and is also a wanted criminal. Of course, I'll be the one making sure things go according to plan."

"Is there a problem?" Itachi asked, his deep voice contrasting with his appearance.

"He's our newest member. Trust must be earned and built upon. I'm sure you both know that," Zetsu responded.

"I see," Itachi said with a nod. "And you say he's from Konoha. If he's cooperative, we could have a powerful ally."

"And if not, he wanted you two to be the ones to take care of him," Zetsu finished.

With that, Zetsu nodded as he fully merged with the earth, disappearing from view and allowing the duo to continue on their way.

* * *

_Southern grasslands, south of Konoha..._

Coupled with the dry, humid air and radiant sun, killing intent saturated the surrounding atmosphere to the point where it became almost unbearable to some of those that were present. The grass beneath their feet and scattered trees danced with the wind as the stare-down continued, for what seemed like an eternity. It was enough to make anyone expect the worst possible outcome. The low howl of the air seemed to permeate the inevitable silence that followed as glares of malice and anger were exchanged.

The long tails of Naruto's hitai-ite and his coat flew in the wind as he relinquished the grip from the kunai he held at Lee's neck. He had long since stopped struggling, but Naruto's Kage Bunshin held him with a steadfast grip nevertheless. It seemed like anyone at any given time would reach the breaking point, given the massive amount of tension that was present.

The blond breathed as he lowered his kunai, wanting to finally break the silence. "What do you mean by that?" Naruto asked, his demeanor and tone a clear representation of his nonchalant attitude. "Are you willing to risk your team...for me?"

Shikamaru was quiet for a brief moment, appearing as though he were unsure, though that wasn't the case. His seriousness showed in his stoic expression. "No," he responded. "This is between you and me."

With that, there was an immediate uproar amongst the Naruto Search and Rescue Squad.

Kiba stepped forward. "No way! We're behind you all the way! You won't be in this alone."

Naruto smirked. "That's cute," he said with much unwarranted sarcasm. "Why don't you even the playing field, huh, Shikamaru? Give yourself the best chance...to survive...if you don't plan on leaving any time soon."

Shikamaru expressed his growing concern, the anger in his eyes replaced with a more soft look. "So, you really have changed. There seems to be no coming back for you. What happened?"

"Why do you people like to stick your noses where they don't belong?" Naruto asked. "Leave me to my life. You don't know me."

"You're a criminal! You can't keep this up! You're going to pay for it one day, one way or another," Shikamaru reasoned. "If you don't allow us to help you, then we don't have any choice but to-"

"To what?" Naruto interrupted, his body language and visage expressing his austerity. "Kill me? Who gave you that order? The old man?" There was silence, confirming his question. He chuckled. "He's going to get you guys killed."

Shikamaru glared into Naruto's eyes. "You've hospitalized two of our own. We're going to do what we have to do to protect our home. Of course, you wouldn't understand because you don't have one."

"Ouch," Naruto said with a smirk, the sarcasm clearly evident in his tone. "Actually, that's where you're wrong. I have a home. I call it Akatsuki."

The group was undoubtedly taken aback by his sarcastic-like remark, but Shikamaru retained his collected demeanor; he guessed that such an outcome was bound to happen eventually. Even so, he didn't think that he would actually go through with it. His mental condition was indeed questionable at this point, considering his recent actions. There seemed to be no reasoning with him. Shikamaru glanced over at Kiyomi with narrowed eyes as if looking for an answer or confirmation.

"You all look surprised," Kiyomi said in response to the looks they received. "Well, don't be. It's true, and I'm his partner. Naruto is our newest addition."

Shikamaru shook his head. "That isn't what a home is, but how would you know? You only know one thing."

Naruto's expression and body language were made serious, yet he remained calm during the confrontation, despite his growing, and surfacing hunger. "And I'm about to show you," he said, handing his kunai to Kiyomi.

Without any other words, Naruto knelt down on one knee, forcibly slamming his hand to the ground simultaneously. Much to the group's surprise, a large wall of dirt was kicked up from the point of impact, but it wasn't caused by the force of his hand's impact, which everyone thought. When the cloud of earth dispersed, there came into view a large, monstrous, plant-like creature that even appeared to be subtly breathing. Its white and blood red flower was closed, and they all feared what it would reveal if they allowed it to blossom.

Shikamaru turned to Neji and Hinata, who both glanced at each other with a nod before stepping forward and initiating their Hakke Kūhekishō (Eight Trigrams Vacuum Wall Palm) in an attempt to decimate the threat from where they stood, which was several yards away. The collaborative attack would have been a direct hit, but the attack was promptly blocked by a wall of ice, several feet thick. Even so, the attack still managed to nearly shatter the wall.

"You really shouldn't have done that," Naruto said, his arms crossed. "This plant uses unique chemical sensors that detect movement, which then allows its flower to blossom."

As the wall of ice reverted back into water, they observed the large flower as it slowly and ominously opened, revealing a large demonic mouth with several sets of razor-sharp teeth. Then, out of the mouth, a tongue-like appendage appeared, equipped with its own set of similar teeth.

Naruto's eyes shifted to the plant's tongue as it produced an otherworldly hiss. "I'd say that its found its first target."

The tongue, which elongated, made a beeline for Shikamaru, who stood rooted in place with nothing but confidence engraved on his face. Neji swiftly dashed in front of him with his arm extended in front of him and proceeded to use Hakkeshō Kaiten (Eight Trigrams Palms Revolving Heaven), which destroyed any remnant of the plant that was ready to attack. As the tongue swiftly retreated back into the plant, Shikamaru immediately formed the single handseal required for his signature jutsu, Kagemane (Shadow Imitation).

Naruto, whose piercing gaze was focused on the group all the while, didn't bother looking over at Kiyomi, who he knew had been captured by the jutsu, since he had long since activated his Mangekyō Sharingan and managed to resist it. Her eyes bulged and her body became slightly more relaxed as Shikamaru's shadow melded with hers.

"Everyone else, take Naruto! I'll handle this," Shikamaru ordered.

However, before they could make another move, they found themselves quickly surrounded by a dome of chakra infused ice.

"Shit!" Kiba blurted.

"Damn," Neji said inaudibly. "It's no use. We're trapped. The ice is flowing with a thick layer of his chakra. Just what I'd expect."

Lee, helplessly observing the confrontation, attempted to simultaneously subdue both of the clones that held fast to him. Though he managed to dispel one with a powerful roundhouse kick, he was caught off guard by several ropes of grass that held him to the ground, each blade adhered with chakra.

"You don't have to do this, Shikamaru," Naruto said, still standing next to Kiyomi.

"No, _you _don't have to do this. We fight for Konoha. What do you fight for?"

"Myself," the blond quickly responded.

Shikamaru shook his head in shame, convinced that there was nothing else anybody could do for him. He knew he had to be eliminated before he became an even greater threat, and he has already reached criminal status. His mind began to slightly wander as he thought ahead, but proceeded to focus on his shadow, which split into several needle-point shadows that were set on only one target.

Naruto swiftly jumped back away from the tendrils, moving erratically as to avoid capture the best he could. They didn't give up the relentless assault, so he threw several kunai at Shikamaru's direction with the intention of immobilizing him so he could release his shadows. His attack failed, however, as Shikamaru simply used more of his shadow tendrils to actually grab the weapons in air, thus avoiding serious injury.

"Good move," Naruto stated. "but I have a lot more for you to see. Time for you to prove yourself."

Shikamaru breathed. _"Dam__mit__. I can't keep this up forever, and every time I use it, its duration gradually diminishes. If I don't capture him, I'll just have to improvise."_

"This isn't good," Neji said. "Naruto is much too fast to be caught."

"How long are you planning on keeping this up?" Naruto asked, noticing that the shadows promptly stopped the chase and returned to Shikamaru's original shadow.

Without further hesitation, Shikamaru then threw a kunai, fitted with an explosive tag, at Naruto's feet. He was nearly caught in the powerful blast, but the impact did manage to knock him off balance. Using that as a split-second distraction, Shikamaru manipulated Kiyomi so that she swiftly stabbed him in the shoulder with the kunai that he had previously given her.

"Naruto! Move!" Kiyomi cried. "I'm being controlled!"

Naruto briefly smiled as she stood in place, holding the kunai that was in his back. It was too late. "Heh, very good move."

The rest of the group, trapped in a dome of ice, was forced to helplessly watch on the sidelines. Even so, they all knew that Shikamaru could hold his own against anyone if he applied his genius, and it seemed that he was beginning to do just that.

Neji let out a sigh of relief, though it would be short-lived. _"So that's what he had planned. He was awaiting an opportunity in which he could strike in the most unsuspecting manner."_

Ino suddenly banged the ice with her fists. "Shikamaru! Behind you!"

They all called out for him, but their efforts were futile. They were too far away and the ice was too thick for him to hear their shouts. But they were right. Shikamaru struggled to maintain concentration on his shadow as an intense, sharp pain shot up his back and surrounding areas, nearly immobilizing him.

_"Damn, a kage bunshin. How did he manage?"_

As if right on cue, the "Naruto" that stood a few meters away from Shikamaru dispersed into a small cloud of smoke. The figure that attacked him from behind was obviously the actual Naruto. It became apparent that his skills in bunshinjutsu were not to be underestimated, as Neji and Hinata are able to differentiate between clone and user through the different chakra signatures, but they didn't notice the switch at all.

_"My attack was in vain," _Shikamaru thought, with a slight cough.

"Dammit!" Kiba exclaimed. "We can't do shit!"

Naruto held fast to the kunai he struck Shikamaru with. "Using Kiyomi to attack me; that was a clever move, but I know you can do more than that. I'll think about holding back if you can show me more."

"Naruto, you're crazy," Shikamaru said.

As they conversed, an unsuspecting Naruto was caught off guard by two tendrils that pierced his gut, causing him to cough up a bit of blood and stain the back of Shikamaru's flak jacket.

"No one will ever understand," Naruto said as jumped back off of the tendrils.

The shadow that held Kiyomi retracted and minimized as it melded back with his own shadow.

"Kiyomi, stay where you are and watch Lee," Naruto commanded as he turned his glare to Shikamaru. "So, it lasts about seven minutes. That's a little longer than I expected."

"Only one of us is going to walk away from this. Don't underestimate me," Shikamaru said, turning to Naruto, refusing to release any killing intent, probably because it would take too much effort on his part.

Even so, the look in his eyes told Naruto that he was extremely livid, and that he did, indeed, have more to show. A thin smirk cradled Naruto's lips as he glanced over at the rest of the group he had trapped then focusing his undivided attention on his opponent before him. There was silence for several minutes, and without any further break in the impenetrable silence, Shikamaru knelt down on one knee, closed his eyes, and placed his hands in such a way that they formed a circle from Naruto's perspective.

A reminiscent smile appeared on a few of the group member's faces.

"Naruto's in trouble," Ino said.

"How is that?" Neji asked, unfamiliar with Shikamaru's peculiar notion.

"Shikamaru has done that before. Certain people do certain things in certain circumstances. For example, some people whistle when they're scared, some twiddle their thumbs when they're nervous. Shikamaru does that when he can't solve a problem."

"I see. His heart rate has slowed a bit due to his intense concentration. So tell me, when he gets up, is he able to solve that problem?" Neji asked.

There was a moment of silence as Ino continued to observe her squad mate, whom she had complete and utter faith in. "Every time."

_"__He's...focusing...or thinking," _Kiyomi thought, taking note of the minute fluctuation patterns of chakra in certain areas of Shikamaru's body. _"Naruto had better be cautious."_

Shikamaru, at last, opened his eyes and focused his glare upon the one before him. There seemed to be a softer glow to his eyes. His demeanor and visage were a bit more serene than before, as noticed by an observant Naruto, who, without any further words, raised his arm at a slight angle.

_"What's he doing?" _Shikamaru thought, noticing the large shadow that formed beneath him.

"Above you, Shikamaru!" Lee cried.

Within seconds, a large block of ice came crashing down on Shikamaru, producing a large cloud of dirt, out of which, was a shadow that made a beeline for Naruto. He leapt around, attempting to avoid capture, throwing several kunai at the target he thought was Shikamaru. Instead, out from within the cloud of foreign debris, there came a feminine cry.

"Dammit, Naruto! It's a trick!" Kiyomi shouted in pain.

It was indeed a trick, since, as the smoke dispersed, Shikamaru was nowhere to be found, and he observed Kiyomi pull the two kunai he threw out of her leg. Naruto instinctively turned on heel, but not before receiving a shadow tendril through his abdomen.

"Great. Shikamaru's aversion worked," Ino said with a soft smile.

Neji heaved an inaudible sigh. _"Clever. The dirt cloud was used as a cover-up for his distraction, which was __that girl__. He knew that Naruto wouldn't be able to see through the smoke __and he knew that he would mistake that girl for him__, so he hid behind this ice dome and used his Kagemane no jutsu so it looked like he was using it __from __within the smoke. __Then, with his attention occupied, he used a sneak attack."_

With that, Naruto found himself suddenly tied down and immobilized by several more shadow tendrils that branched out in various directions around his body. Shikamaru then proceeded to wrap Naruto in several more tendrils, which had been rigged with explosive tags.

"I knew he would do it," Ino said. "This was his plan all along."

Shikamaru pulled out another kunai that had been fitted with an explosive tag, seemingly taking an eternity. "This is where it ends," he said, twirling the kunai on his finger. "A little advice: having something to fight for makes you stronger."

Shikamaru unhesitatingly threw the kunai, along with two attached with a four foot wire, directly at the area beneath his feet, the tag exploding and causing a chain reaction that set off every other explosive tag that had been adhered to him, virtually dismembering him in every aspect, from the others' perspective, at least. In addition, he used his Kagemane once again and pelted the area with numerous shadow tendrils to ensure the death of his target, which had been obscured by an enormous cloud of dirt and earth.

Everyone immediately applauded Shikamaru's valiant efforts, but something was wrong.

Neji shook his head. "His chakra hasn't dissipated from the ice. He's still conscious."

"Be careful, Shikamaru," Lee said, noticing that the group hadn't destroyed the ice dome.

Shikamaru glanced over at his squad mates, then back at the looming cloud of smoke, keeping his senses alert all the while. _"Damn. My attack failed. He must have saw it coming and reacted faster. But how did he survive?"_

As the smoke slowly dispersed, the figure of Naruto gradually came into view. He had undoubtedly survived the vicious onslaught, albeit nearly battered and broken. The view, after awhile, had soon become clear, and he was on his knees, holding himself up with his weakened arms. Everyone observed his slightly charred and quivering body as chunks of ice cracked off of his face and abdomen.

Shikamaru was taken aback. _"So...he covered his body in ice. At least the injured and sensitive parts, __probably because there wasn't __enough time. So I actually did injure him."_

The groups undivided attention was on the weakened Naruto, who coughed up blood as he attempted to form coherent words. The attack certainly did deliver a great deal of damage, as the blond showed brief difficulty in climbing to his feet, though he did manage to get himself on one knee.

Naruto softly chuckled as he coughed up more blood. "You almost had me. Congratulations...you've...proven yourself."

Shikamaru slowly shook his head, meditating upon the prior advice he had given Naruto, and reflected upon the fact that Naruto wished for him to prove himself. Amidst the killing intent, he managed to remain calm as he subtly shook his head.

Shikamaru lowered his glare and closed his eyes. "I was scared of you, Naruto. I'm not afraid to admit that. We were kids, but...you were stronger than any of us...but things have changed. You see, we've been given a purpose: a purpose to protect those that are close to us."

As Shikamaru spoke, rushing memories of his team, his teachers, the village, and anyone else he had interacted with, flooded, and nearly overwhelmed, his mind. The influx caused his lips to form a subtle smile.

"Shikamaru...you came here to kill me," Naruto said, now on his feet. "So do your job...or you won't have a home to go back to."

With that, Naruto took action, biting his thumb as to release some blood and swiped his hand with it, slamming his palm to the ground after he had swiftly formed the required handseals. The area where he had slammed his palm produced a cloud of smoke almost immediately, and an abnormally large, green toad, about the size of a basketball (though not as round), appeared. Judging by its defined facial features, it was a male toad, one whose brown hair was made prominent by his goatee and mohawk. He also wore an open black shirt, revealing the red, intricate tattoo-like markings that adorned most of his body.

The relatively young toad briefly glanced around before jumping onto Naruto's head. "Ah! Naruto! You inexperienced son of a bitch! What's going on here?"

Naruto rolled his eyes. "Good to see you too, Fakusuka. I'm a little weak; I could use some assistance."

"Well, at least you managed to summon me this time. I guess all that training paid off, huh? So...is he our opponent?"

"Yes," Naruto responded. "and he shouldn't be underestimated."

Fakusuka smirked. "Ah, he must be incredibly intelligent to have outsmarted you."

Naruto sighed with annoyance. "Yea, yea. Just attack when you're ready."

With that, the toad companion opened his mouth, releasing a sphere of water at an amazing speed, and Naruto complemented that by freezing it, creating a dangerous projectile that Shikamaru nimbly dodged. But the onslaught continued, Shikamaru being unable to find an opening so he could use his signature jutsu.

_"Damn. A collaboration attack. He wants to make sure I don't use Kagemane again. __So that's exactly what I'll make him believe."_

With his plan formulated, Shikamaru continued to roll with the punches until he was finally able to throw another kunai with an explosive tag. The blast bombarded the area with chunks of debris, and visibility was almost nil.

_"I'm not falling for that one, again!" _Naruto thought.

Fakusuka spit an immense volume of water out of his mouth like a cannon, and Naruto manipulated it to form a towering wave. He ended the technique with a powerful gust of wind that sent the wave flying in Shikamaru's general direction.

"Shikamaru!" Kiba blurted.

Ino placed a gentle hand on her comrade's shoulder. "Don't worry. He's fine. Just have faith."

Shikamaru avoided serious injuries in dodging the attack. It seemed, to Shikamaru, that Naruto was showing more and more of his abilities, and that he was attempting to end the confrontation quickly.

_"__He's drawing it out, trying to regain his strength. He knows he's susceptible to my jutsu. I have to capture hi__m quickly. I just hope it works."_

Naruto sent another gust of wind through the area, quickly dissipating any residual smoke and dirt that would reduce visibility, revealing the figure of Shikamaru standing motionless and confident just yards away. He, as well as everyone else, observed Naruto's visage change immediately. Something was different about him, and Shikamaru couldn't help but put on a subtle smirk of pride.

Shikamaru looked down at his feet, and Naruto followed suit. "You see that? It's one of Asuma-sensei's trench knives."

Neji and Hinata both observed in awe. "Amazing," Neji commented.

"What's going on?" Ino asked.

"At some point, Shikamaru transferred a portion of his chakra into Asuma-sensei's trench knife. Then he used the blast from his previous explosive tag as a distraction to throw it at the area he had been standing. He had to wait for awhile until the sun moved into position, which would then move his shadow over the knife. He's essentially using his Kagemane, in the sense that its purpose is for paralysis, but it compensates for the lack of range."

"I'll take it from here, Fakusuka," Naruto said softly.

The toad nodded in compliance and formed a handseal before vanishing in a small cloud of smoke.

"You did it, Shikamaru. But...you've forgotten one key component: I am a jinchūriki!" Naruto exclaimed, saturating the atmosphere with massive killing intent that only grew in intensity.

Shikamaru quickly used Kagemane, knowing that Naruto would be too weak to resist it, and proceeded to take a few slow steps forward. Then suddenly, it began snowing. It started out gently, then with added hurricane force winds, there was suddenly a blizzard. Still, Shikamaru continued forward, even though he was beginning to freeze.

"Goodbye, Naruto," he said.

As Shikamaru continued, the blond eventually walked into the wire that Shikamaru had set earlier, tripping over the wire. Naruto's eyes bulged, noticing the kunai that had been embedded in the earth, the handle supported by a small mound of dirt.

He could feel the cold steel of the blade penetrate his skull and frontal lobe...

Then nothing.

As for Shikamaru, he too collapsed, shivering vigorously as he slowly lost consciousness. He felt as though he were freezing to death, and everyone rushed to his aid the moment the ice dome reverted into water. Kiyomi rushed to Naruto's side and held him in her arms.

Neji held Shikimaru and checked his pulse. "He's under some sort of genjutsu. He's unconscious for now."

"Naruto," Kiyomi whispered as she gently caressed Naruto's face.

There was silence as Neji looked over at Kiyomi and the lifeless body of Naruto. He rose to his feet and approached the duo with an air of austerity.

"It was going to come to this eventually," he told Kiyomi.

"So I heard," she responded. "You guys had better get back to the safety of your village. Akatsuki will most likely be after you now."

Neji gave a slight nod as he turned to the group, helping Lee to his feet. Kiba placed Shikamaru's flaccid body onto Akamaru's back, and the group soon vanished over the horizon.

Kiyomi turned her gaze back onto the young man. "Naruto...you'll be back soon. I know you're in there...you'll have your chance," she said, lifting him onto her back, knowing what the future held for her, as well as Naruto.


End file.
